The Incredible Shrinking Crusaders

by YouAreError

Chapters

• The Plan
• With A Poor Execution
• Attention Seekers
• Scare Tactics
• The Big Sisters
• Nightmares
• Night Mares
• It's All Fun and Games

The Plan

"You escort your soldiers back to safety. I'll take mine and flank the enemy." Scootaloo ordered, taking half of the miniature pony soldiers. Sweetie Belle nodded and took the rest. The unicorn used her magic to pretend that some of the figurines were injured. The orange Pegasus began to mimic the sound of magic blasts and other weapons.

"Hurry I'll cover you!" Scootaloo yelled, continuing the sounds of warfare. Sweetie Belle moved the toys quickly from one house constructed out of books to the other. She would make the figure twirl as if it was avoiding the onslaught of projectiles.

"Good work General Belle." Scootaloo said, taking her half and moving them one by one to the other structures. Scootaloo began to whisper instructions to her half. Scootaloo moved her toys behind a large wall of books.

"Alright guys this is it. Romeo, ready your magic. Golf, I'm counting on you to sweep her soldiers away. And you Echo, well... Don't get in the way. Alright on three. One... Two..."

"Ah don't think so." Apple Bloom's southern accent chimed confidently. Scootaloo's squad was surrounded by a fleet of motionless plastic dolls.

"Well, buck."

"Language Scootaloo!" Rarity scolded, breaking the scene for the fillies that played in the largest room. It also happened to be Rarity's room. Their imagination was stopped, bringing them back into the room littered with books and papers.

"Sorry Rarity, but Apple Bloom says it a lot," Scootaloo whined.

"Well not in that context." Applejack added from the doorway of the fashion studio. "The term 'buck' wasn't even a bad word when Ah was a filly." 

"Yeah!"Apple Bloom chanted, earning an angry look from the older sisters.

"Apple Bloom. It's still bad to say in class." Applejack added, referring to an incident where she accidentally used it out of "appropriate" context.

"Girls, just wait outside while I talk to Rarity."

"But why?" Apple Bloom asked, extending her last word for added affect.

"Just let the big ponies talk for a bit." Applejack ordered. She kept her head turned away from the younger Apple family member, and ignored the whines and protests from Apple Bloom.

"But we are big ponies." Apple Bloom argued.

"Yeah!" Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle agreed.

The Crusaders didn't notice that they were standing right outside of the doorway, but when they did it was too late as Rarity shut the door with her magic. Applejack chuckled to herself before helping Rarity pick up the mess of books and army dolls.

"Honestly, Twilight would be mad if she ever found out they used her books like this." Rarity chided; she used her light blue aura of magic to form a neat stack of books in the corner of the room.

"She won't though. Twilight's went to Canterlot with Spike for her mother's birthday."

"She might if she saw the condition they're in." Rarity continued, picking up a book that had it's front and back covers ripped off.

"Aw, Ah liked that book." Applejack said. They caught up for a few minutes, and they discussed the schedule on watching the hyperactive bunch known to them as the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

"They're getting much harder to keep watching," the unicorn said, levitating one of the figurines to her face.

"They are also getting older." Applejack reminisced.

"Did you notice they're cutting down on their shenanigans? It's probably a sign of maturity."

"A little too soon." Applejack agreed, "Ah just don't know why I like to tease my little sis on her age."

"Is mama bird afraid her hatchlings are leaving?" Rarity teased, and after her comment she received a soft punch to her side.

"At least I'm not the one treating my sister as a baby." Applejack fought, puffing her cheeks out in frustration.

"I don't treat Sweetie as a baby." Rarity declared, turning away. The unicorn began to focus on her projects that she had planned, wishing that the argument would end, because she knew it wouldn't end well.

"Really? I see the way you hold her close to you as you cross streets."

"That doesn't mean anything!" Rarity defended; her eyes flaring up.

"And the way you brush her mane almost as much as your own." Applejack smiled slyly, knowing she had more things to bring up than Rarity did.

"Well Sweetie just needs to learn the proper mane care. I'm preparing her to live decently, that's all!" Rarity's voice rose as she began to panic.

"Then explain why you bathe your little sister." Applejack said, causing Rarity to gasp loudly.

"How did you find out!" Rarity asked. Applejack smirked and ticked off another victory for her.

"I didn't." Applejack answered. Rarity cursed to herself and looked at Applejack with a defeated expression.

Outside of the door the three fillies were eavesdropping on the conversation. 

"Rarity bathes you?" Apple Bloom asked, causing the white coated unicorn to smile back weakly. Sweetie Belle shrugged to her fellow Crusaders before turning back to the door.

"I'm just glad nopony wants to hold my hooves when crossing the street." Scootaloo mocked. The doorknob twitched and it signaled for the three to avoid the full swing of the door.

"Come on girls, Rarity's busy now." Applejack said. The oldest walked out first and the three crusaders followed her to the orchard.

***

"So what now?" Scootaloo asked, referring to the stack of toys. The CMC had managed to exhaust their arsenal of toys in a few hours. They looked around their tree house to see if there was anything they could use. Unfortunately for them, there wasn't. They looked out the window to see if there was anything else.

"Look, there's Applejack." Sweetie Belle pointed out, looking at the orange pony that harvested apples.

"She looks so small down there." Scootaloo added. The tree house's height allowing them to look over the entire orchard.

"Almost as small as when she-" Apple Bloom added, stopping before she finished her sentence.

"When she what?" Sweetie Belle asked, her voice cracking on her last word. Apple Bloom recoiled away from the two.

"Nothing. Just forget what I said." Apple Bloom retracted, hoping her friends would just forget.

"Almost as small as when she?" Scootaloo brought back the question. Apple Bloom backed away from the unicorn and Pegasus; she backed away into the corner and mumbled to herself that she should have watched where she was going.

"Answer us." Sweetie Belle ordered, trying her best to glare like Rarity would.

"Applejack told me not to tell anypony."

"Come on. You could trust us." Scootaloo reasoned, giving her friend a sweet but prying smile.

"Applejack isn't going to like this but..." Apple Bloom stalled, and her friends moved in closer.

"Out with it Apple Bloom!" Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo demanded, making the earth pony jump. The yellow filly looked at her friends for a sign of mercy on their faces. The two other crusaders didn't bother easing up.

"Fine. A couple months back there was an accident. One that might have involved mah big sis... Becoming a little sis."

"She got younger?" Sweetie Belle asked. The unicorn's eyes lit up at the thought of her own sister being younger than her.

"No you chowder-head! Apple Bloom obviously got older." Scootaloo guessed, looking at the unicorn with a smirk.

"No you idiots! Applejack shrunk!" Apple Bloom answered, angry at her friends' inability to guess correctly.

"That doesn't make any sense at all!" Scootaloo yelled, denying the story.

"Oh and becoming younger makes more sense?" Apple Bloom argued.

"A lot more than shrinking," the orange pegasus mumbled.

"Anyway, Applejack shrunk because of this flower in the Everfree Forest." Apple Bloom clarified, getting her friends' attention.

"That's it? Boring." Scootaloo said, "I thought it would be more interesting."

"Well I did kind of tease her about her size." Apple Bloom explained.

"Like?"

"Well I said I was the bigger pony now." Apple Bloom answered.

"You didn't!" Sweetie Belle yelled, her tone sounding similar to Rarity when she would gossip.

"Applejack must have hated that." Scootaloo stated, "Did Applejack get back at you for that?"

"No, not yet."

"Wait I know what to do!" Scootaloo shouted, realizing what they could do to end their boredom.

"What?" Both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle asked, wanting to hear what their pegasus crusader had in store.

"We shrink Applejack! We could find that thing that shrunk her and get back at her. You know, knock her down to size."

"But mah sis didn't do anythin'!" Apple Bloom protested; defending her older sister, "Plus she keeps the cure nearby."

"Horse-feathers. How about we find this plant and see what it does to us?" the orange filly suggested, getting an approval from the unicorn.

"No can do. Applejack will kill us if we get Poison Joke anywhere near the orchard."

"Well we'll just have to try it in Twilight's library then." Scootaloo retaliated, solving their problems with a simple suggestion.

"Are we all okay with this?" Apple Bloom asked, waiting for the approval of the other crusaders. They all nodded and they left the tree house in search of the infamous Poison Joke.

***

"What do you mean it's all gone!" Scootaloo shouted, disappointed by the empty patch of dirt.

"The Poison Joke it seems to lack, but that's because of Rarity and Applejack."

"Of course mah sister would do this." Apple Bloom muttered, kicking a small patch of dirt. Their expedition cut short by the precautions taken by the older sisters. They followed Zecora back towards her hut, looking feverishly for something to cure their boredom. The Crusaders have been to the Everfree Forest dozens of times, it was mostly near the outskirts of Ponyville, but the farthest they usually went was Zecora's hut.

The cauldron in the center of the shack was full with a steaming liquid, and the three were instantly attracted the the boiling liquid. Scootaloo stuck her hoof in the cauldron to get a feel of the steam escaping.

"Zecora, do you have anything we could do?" Sweetie Belle asked hopefully. The zebra shook her head and directed her attention back to what she was brewing.

"Gals, Ah've got an idea." Apple Bloom stated, looking at her friends with a devious smile.

"Will any of our ideas not get shot down after five minutes?" Scootaloo asked sarcastically.

"This might work. Meet me at Twilight's library.

The three fillies stood outside the door of the library. They stared at the locked door with defeated expressions.

"How do we get in?" Apple Bloom asked, looking for any open windows.

"Well knocking usually works." Sweetie Belle answered innocently.

"Seriously guys? I swiped the key from Rarity a while back." Scootaloo said cockily, showing off the key to the library.

Scootaloo opened the front door, allowing her fellow Crusaders inside. The orange pegasus went over to the shelves of the library. They each searched through the contents of the books for something to keep themselves entertained.

"Nope, no signs of shrinking potions."

"Found it!" Sweetie Belle sang. The child unicorn threw the book at the yellow earth pony; the book hitting the red maned pony into the face. Apple Bloom read the words on the page aloud.

"Watch yourself instantly reduce in size in a simple home made brew."

"Simple and home made are good." Sweetie Belle commentated.

"The world in a brand new perspective can be yours with the following: a pegasus feather."

"Check!" Sweetie shouted. The unicorn bent over to Scootaloo's orange wings and plucked a few more than Scootaloo would have liked. The pegasus yelped in surprise and pain as she lost a noticeable amount of feathers.

"A few ounces of dandelions." Apple Bloom read.

"Done!" Scootaloo chimed from Twilight's pantry. Scootaloo also managed to take out some ingredients for a meal, chips, bread, hay, dandelions

"One teaspoon of... Love?" Apple Bloom stalled.

"How the hay do we collect love?" Scootaloo complained.

"Never mind it says cloves." Apple Bloom clarified, earning an annoyed look from the orange filly.

"Here," the orange filly said, throwing it at the earth pony.

"A large clump of clouds."

"Got that covered." Scootaloo rang, getting her scooter ready.

"A jar of spit from a canine." Apple Bloom said, "Winona and I got this. Let's see... A large sapphire."

"I'll get that from Rarity." Sweetie offered. Apple Bloom looked back at the list.

"And your undying allegiance to the New Lunar Republic?" The Crusaders said in unison.

"Didn't that collapse like a thousand or so years ago?" Scootaloo asked, remembering a lesson of Equestrian History.

"I guess." Sweetie reasoned, "It wouldn't harm anypony right?"

"Let's just get our supplies and worry about it later." Apple Bloom ordered; the three went on their separate ways.

With A Poor Execution

"Hello, Rarity, my favorite older sister." Sweetie Belle greeted innocently. Rarity looked up from the dress she was designing, giving her little sister a skeptical look. Sweetie Belle followed up with a sweet smile, along with another compliment.

"What do you want, Sweetie Belle?" Rarity addressed her younger sister formally.

"Can't I just say hello to my favorite sister?" Sweetie looked up at her older sister with a pair of big blue eyes that begged for her whatever she was asking for.

"Make it short and address your request immediately."

"I need one of your sapphires." Sweetie requested bluntly.

"What do I get out of it?" Rarity said, keeping her attention fixated on her dress.

"I'll owe you one. Big time." Sweetie said, coming close to begging your sister.

"Like?" Rarity asked, making sure she kept her business attitude.

"I'll model some of your dresses." Sweetie bargained, hoping to seal the deal with something she was already accustomed to. But with her luck, (and a sister that can see through almost any lie), Rarity gave her a disinterested look and turned back to her dress.

"And?" Rarity pushed, nearly scaring her younger sister.

"Uhh, I'll clean your room for a week."

"Go on." Rarity continued, adding a small tiara on the head of the ponyquin.

"I'll do what ever you want me to for three days." Sweetie, bit her lip while anticipating an approval.

"A week," Rarity negotiated. "Just get one from that box over there." Sweetie Belle knew that there was no more dealing with her after this point, so the filly just went up to the chest. The unicorn opened the box and immediately found out she was played; the entire box was full of sapphires! Sweetie cursed herself for being dumb, and signing herself for a week of slavery by Ponyville's number one taskmaster.

"So the thing called for a large sapphire." Sweetie mumbled to herself while comparing the sizes of the blue gems. The unicorn found a large one that she deemed appropriate for the potion. The white filly smiled at the thought of her sister being the same size as one of the gems. Sweetie Belle tried to walk out the door, but she was stopped by her older sister.

"Hold up, show me the gem." Rarity demanded, using her magic to pull in the filly close to her. "You never specified the size... I guess we could go back to the negotiation table."

"Oh come on! What more do you want from me!?" Sweetie screamed, frustrated at her sister. Rarity began to smile lightly at the expense of her little sister's anger. Sweetie finally caught on to Rarity's joke and she began to chuckle awkwardly.

"It's okay, Sweetie Belle. Run along now, go back to your friends." Rarity said, happily turning back to her dress making.

"Does that mean I don't have to do any of that?" Sweetie asked, looking up at her sister.

"Well you agreed to it. So... yes." Rarity teased, closing the door to her studio.

***

Apple Bloom was just as unlucky on getting her ingredient as Sweetie Belle. The yellow earth pony chased the brown dog all around the orchard. Apple Bloom ran after Winona, chasing her up and down the hills of Sweet Apple Acres. Apple Bloom would collect the drool that blew out of the dogs mouth.

"Come on, Winona! Ah just need your spit." Apple Bloom begged, chasing her in circles around the barn.

"Whoa, hold on there, little miss." Applejack ordered, sticking her hoof out to block her sister. The yellow filly couldn't stop in time, and she ended up hitting the orange hoof of her older sister. Apple Bloom was sent flying towards the red barn.

"I almost had her." Apple Bloom pouted, crossing her forelegs across her chest. The filly was hanging upside down from a dent from the barn, causing the older mare to laugh.

"You've been chasing her for an half an hour." Applejack pointed out.

"She's  harder to catch than you think." Apple Bloom warned her sister, getting down from the hole in the wall.

"Just let your big sister handle this." Applejack said confidently. Applejack got out her lasso, twirling it quickly and aimed it at the dog that was still running around wildly. The orange mare roped up Winona and slowly dragged the dog to her. Winona panted happily while she was being dragged towards the ponies. Her tongue stuck out, and she barked at her owner when she finally arrived in front of them.

"Why do you need Winona?"

"Ah just need her spit." Apple Bloom explained, earning a confused look from her sister.

"Okay then. Ah'll just leave you to that." Applejack said confused.

"Bye, Applejack," she said, forcing the canine's head; specifically the muzzle was forced against the jar's opening. "Come on just a little more." Applejack rolled her eyes at the ridiculousness of her sister.

***

"Okay, Scootaloo. You can do this," she said worriedly, looking up at a patch of clouds. The orange filly looked down at her scooter; the filly scanned the area for any leverage to grabbing the cloud. She had several plans of attack, but she was having a hard time finding anything that could help. Surely her idol Rainbow Dash could help her out right? She rode her scooter to the nearest hill, looking back up to the sky for another cloud.

"There's no way I'm going to get that cloud." Scootaloo remarked.

The orange pegasus began to climb a mountain top that they had used for other Crusader related activities. She reached the peak and looked up to see patches of clouds in the sky. Scootaloo looked down from a conveniently shaped cliff that served as a ramp. She used her hoof to feign a revving motion on her scooter.

"Here goes nothing," she said, swallowing a lump in her throat. She kicked at the ground as a way to jumpstart her leap of faith. Her scooter began to pick up speed and she felt the wind run through her face. "The things I do for the Crusaders." She reached the bottom of the ramp; already past the point of no return. She jumped off and she felt another rush of wind.

"Whoa! What the hay are you doing!?" A tomboyish voice screamed in concern. Scootaloo felt her momentum stop in an instant as she was caught by her role model. Scootaloo's scooter was sent flying without her, going through the cloud that she wanted to gather. She muttered to herself that she could have caught that if she wasn't stopped.

"Hi, Rainbow Dash." Scootaloo greeted unenthusiastically. Normally she would be glad to see her idol, but in a situation like this she knew she'd be grilled. Ever since the camping trip with The other crusaders and their respective sisters, Rainbow Dash took on the duty as the older sister Scootaloo never had.

"What were you thinking?" Rainbow scolded, floating back to the ground of Ponyville.

"I was trying to catch the cloud..." Scootaloo answered quietly.

"What for?" Rainbow Dash inquired, knowing the overall uselessness of clouds other than rain or beds.

"Nothing important." Scootaloo lied, putting her hooves on the safety of the surface.

"I'll get a hooffull of cloud if you promise not to do anything stupid with it." Rainbow Dash bargained.

"Deal," the filly answered; she was glad that her problem would be solved quickly. Rainbow Dash bolted straight towards the air, leaving behind a rainbow streak. The pegasus spared no time in grabbing the cloud high above, but right after on her decent she began to do several Wonderbolt-esque tricks.

Rainbow Dash landed cleanly on the ground, and she stopped to take a short bow to showcase her skill.

"Rainbow! That was awesome!" Scootaloo complimented, looking at the pegasus who flexed confidently.

"As usual," she added. The cyan mare gave the small patch of fluffy white cumulus to the exited filly.

"Thanks," she said gratefully. Rainbow Dash nodded and flew away to continue her training as a possible  Wonderbolt. Scootaloo waved goodbye, and faked an innocent smile. 

"I'm so going to do something stupid." Scootaloo said, returning to the library.

***

"Okay, so you mix this here and add this... Now." Sweetie Belle said, stirring a pot that they had "borrowed" from Twilight's kitchen. The Crusaders had also commandeered Twilight's entire kitchen for their experiment. Of course the Crusaders eventually ransacked the kitchen and left it in a terrible condition, but they figured their sisters would help clean it up in their future diminutive states. Apple Bloom would read the instructions while Scootaloo would pass them to Sweetie Belle, and she would follow what Apple Bloom instructed her to.

It was one of those rare occurrences of teamwork that the hardly experienced. The CMC usually competed against each other; even if they were supposed to work together. They were different enough to argue on just about everything, and whenever the chance to disagree on something they did. The three followed the instructions carefully; another thing the Cutie Mark Crusaders almost never did.

"I think we're done girls." Sweetie Belle stated, looking into the cooking pot.

"You sure? It kind of looks undercooked." Apple Bloom asked, looking at the orange liquid inside.

"Like you have made a shrinking potion." Sweetie scoffed, admiring her work.

"Did you make one?" Scootaloo asked, challenging the unicorn.

"Just now, and I say it's fine," she declared. "What does it say next."

"It says to engulf the user in the potion. Oh it also warns that the slightest drop could shrink anypony."

"Then we have to be extra careful with it." Scootaloo said. Trying to bottle up the liquid safely. The pegasus slowly dipped a bottle Into the contents of the cooking tool, scooping out small amounts at a time.

"Give me that," the southern accented pony ordered, sticking her hoof to reach for the bottle.

"No." Scootaloo stated bluntly. The pegasus moved the potion away from the yellow filly.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo pushed and shoved each other for the potion. Both fillies yelled excuses to the other on who did more work. Sweetie Belle tried her best to cut off the fighting, but after a few seconds of them ignoring her the unicorn joined the bickering that seemed to plague them for life.

"It was my idea." Scootaloo claimed.

"You wouldn't have thought of that if Ah' didn't tell you about Applejack." Apple Bloom retorted.

"I had to sacrifice a week of indentured servitude to my sister!" Sweetie Belle argued, noting her own contributions.

The three members of Ponyville's branch of the Crusaders began to fight against one another. Scootaloo was the first to get physical with the other two. She shoved the earth pony and in return she pushed back; only to have Sweetie Belle caught in the crosshairs. Sweetie yelped in pain before she grabbed Scootaloo and pushed her in return. They insulted each other as they usually did until they felt the fight ended in a usual draw,

       Apple Bloom began to sway side to side because of the shoving. The increased rocking of the pedestal caused her to push things out of the way and off the counter, starting with extra, unused ingredients and utensils, and they eventually reached a certain shrinking brew. They argued as they fought, and they all stopped paying attention to the volatile liquids in the pot. A loose hoof from Apple Bloom was enough to douse them with the warm liquid and was enough to ruin their plans for Rarity and Applejack. They all shared a moment of silence as they anticipated what came next.

     The world around them grew, but a moment later they knew they were shrinking. It was always every pony's first thought; it was an ignorant thought to guess that the whole planet decided to grow without you, and that you didn't change at all. The ceiling was pushed farther away than the ponies could have ever hoped to reach. They all screamed as they lost their stature, shrinking away until they were no talker than bugs. Their stool that they used now formed into a giant mountain that towered above them.

"What just happened!?" Sweetie shouted; her voice cracking at her last word.

"Sweetie?" Apple Bloom asked. A smile forming on her face. Sweetie Belle was about to answer before she stopped.

"No. I'm not doing it!" Sweetie denied. Looking at her her friend angrily.

"Sweetie." Apple Bloom said again in a sing song tone.

"Nope. Not saying anything."

"Sweetie..."

"What!?" Sweetie Belle snapped, looking at Apple Bloom who just smiled a goofy grin.

"Sweetie, we shrunk Ah-selves."

Attention Seekers

"We're tiny, and you make a bad joke like that!?" Sweetie Belle scolded, understanding the reference.

"Ah'm just tryin' to lighten the mood." Apple Bloom joked, smiling at the unicorn.

"Well it didn't work." Scootaloo added. The three looked around their surroundings, discarded pots and pans towered over them, chips left on the floor were about the same size, and the tops of tables stretched upwards at impossible lengths.

"What are we going to do?" Sweetie Belle asked, looking at her friends for a solution.

"We can go to your sisters," proposed the pegasus.

"No can do. If Applejack saw me like this..." Apple Bloom trailed off, thinking of what form of revenge her older sister would think of. Sweetie Belle backed up the earth pony on refusing to go to Applejack or Rarity.

"It's better than getting squished." Scootaloo reasoned.

"Or eaten," added the unicorn with a straight forward tone.

"We could go and find some big pony we can trust." Sweetie Belle suggested, hoping to get help.

"I guess, but who do we trust?" Scootaloo asked, thinking of anypony that won't immediately turn them over to Rarity or Applejack. The list was a short one, and each of them knew the list. "Rainbow Dash? She's more on our side right?"

"Or Pinkie Pie, she has no moral obligation to give us up." Sweetie Belle continued.

"Ah kind of don't want to be the cupcake maker's assistant." Apple Bloom complained, choosing the Wonderbolt wannabe over the Sugar Cube Cooker.

"So we head out and find and find Rainbow," declared the orange filly. Galloping after the half open door; the other two crusaders followed the pegasus. They navigated the library, trekking past the giant books, humongous tables, and colossal couches. The three ponies talked about various subjects as they walked. Their conversations ranging from possible Cutie Marks to the schoolwork they now had an excuse to not do.

They crawled under the entrance door to the library, exposing the three to Celestia's unforgiving sunlight. The CMC stuck their hooves against their faces to adjust to change of brightness. The three encountered their next obstacle, the small unnoticeable slab of concrete that worked as a useful stepping stone to the library. Now, it was a cliff that served as an unnecessary road block.

"Horse apples," the pegasus complained, looking down the gap that halted their journey.

"Ah' didn't walk all this way just to stop now." Apple Bloom complained, getting ready to jump.

"I don't think this is a good idea," the white unicorn said, hiding her fear poorly.

"Well do ya have any better one's?" asked the earth pony.

"This is pretty fun!" Scootaloo shouted in joy. She bounced down from the leaves of the bush, using the spring like quality of the leaves as a cushion to soften her landing.

"It's even better when you slide!" Sweetie added, slipping down the slopes of the leaves; the unicorn hollered as she moved past the edge of the leaf and on to another springy leaf. Apple Bloom did a mixture of both alternating every few leaps, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders eventually reached the soil where the giant bush was planted. Scootaloo hit the ground, landing on her face, followed by Sweetie Belle falling on top of her, and Apple Bloom trailed behind.

"Get off of me!" Scootaloo shouted, pushing the other two crusaders off. They all stood up to continue their journey. They stepped through the forest of the grass they used to tower over. They kept their eyes in the air to make sure nopony was trotting in their direction. The CMC finally resurfaced out of the forest of grass, and they reached Ponyville's market place; where everypony shopped for his or her own groceries. The popular booths attracting traffic and leaving another obstacle for the crusaders of the cutie marks.

"How are we supposed to get around when there's a thousand ponies stomping around?" Apple Bloom asked, looking at the masses of ponies that attended to their business. Apple Bloom stepped out to build up confidence, only to be stopped by a giant cyan hoof landing right next to her.

"Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo yelled, thinking she could get her attention.

"You idiot! She can't hear us." Apple Bloom yscreamed, mostly in fear, but she was annoyed enough to yell anyway. The miniature earth pony avoided the giant's hoof as Rainbow Dash strode across unmeasurable distances to the Crusaders.

"Of course she'd be going to talk to Applejack!" Apple Bloom screamed, cursing Celestia, Luna, and anypony else in power. The three ran after the pegasus, dodging the hoofsteps of the ponies that walked around.

"No problem, we'll just hide in her tail." Apple Bloom ordered.

"Eww no." Sweetie Belle protested, finding the idea of jumping into the blue mare's tail unappealing.

"It can't be that bad," she reassured. Sweetie Belle looked back at the filly with a look of disgust.  

"Whatever let's just reveal ourselves already!" Scootaloo pressured, not even caring about whoever might discover them.

"Anypony but Applejack," the yellow filly begged.

"Or Rarity." Sweetie Belle butted in. The fillies were too distracted in their own conversation to notice a giant pink-purplish hoof that stood in the way. Apple Bloom ran face-first into the purple pillar, and she was followed by the other two who made the same mistake.

The monolith began to stir on the collective impact of the Crusaders. The floor shook and the Cutie Mark Crusaders looked up to see the giant mare that loomed above them. The head of the mare had blocked out the sun, cascading them into the darkness of the shade. They stared at the giant green eyes, and the long waves of pink hair. The teacher's face changed to one that was shocked, and the Crusaders knew they were discovered.

"Of all ponies..." Apple Bloom said.

"It just had to be..." Sweetie Belle continued.

"Miss Cheerilee..." Scootaloo finished.

"Girls... What did you do?" Cheerilee asked, leaning in to get a closer look at the three; Cheerilee used a hoof to wipe her eyes, and the elementary school teacher began to scare the fillies with her magnified face.

"It's kind of a long story," the yellow filly answered. Apple Bloom looked up at the pony that discovered them, fearing what might come next.

"What am I going to tell your parents!?" Cheerilee asked in a way that scared the fillies.

"Nothing! They don't need to know about this!" Scootaloo exclaimed, smiling weakly at the earth pony.

"You fillies have ten seconds to explain what happened." Cheerilee ordered, gritting her teeth.

"Or what?" Scootaloo challenged, faking bravery to the giant.

"Shut up!" Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom interrupted, forcing the orange pegasus to stop.

Cheerilee proceeded to count down from ten, and the other Crusaders frantically explained their predicament.

"You were going to shrink your sisters!" Cheerilee screamed indignantly, causing a scene in the croud. Cheerilee was wary of the ponies that looked at her; she smiled awkwardly and scooped up the screaming fillies, placing them next to her ear.

"It was all in good fun!" Scootaloo reasoned, "we were just going to play with them." The purplish pony glanced at Scootaloo with a displeased expression.

"Please don't give us over to our sisters," the filly unicorn and earth pony begged in unison. Cheerilee had heard their desperation and found it extremely adorable, yet oddly unnerving; they said it like they had feared the wrath of their sisters. She debated whether or not to hoof them over to them. What gives me the right to keep them away from their family? But they don't want to go to them. What if I get accused of foal napping? It serves them right though, they just tried to shrink their own sisters just for fun. Cheerilee had finally come to a decision that the Crusaders weren't going to like.

"I wasn't, but since you three seem okay with the idea," their teacher said with a taunting tone. The three pleaded with her, shouting several compromises into the giant ear that was taller than the three combined. Cherilee would hear none of it though as she channeled out the begging fillies and scanned the market for Applejack. She had seen her earlier that day set up somewhere... Oh there she is! They hid inside of her mane as the earth pony began walking over to Applejack.  Cheerilee stopped at the"Applejack, there's something in need to tell you about."

"Oh howdy, Miss Cheerilee," the apple sales pony greeted.

"No need for the formality," she greeted modestly. "Anyway there's a problem with your little sister."

"Now what did Apple Bloom do? Ah swear there's something wrong with her."

"That's kind of the problem." Cheerilee stated worriedly. The teacher dug out the CMC out of her mane, and she placed them on the counter. They kept their heads turned away from Applejack, holding each other for emotional support. Applejack did a double take, and her jaw dropped in shock. Her light green eyes expanded, finding it difficult believe what was happening. She began to stutter, and she tried to swallow a large lump in her throat.

"A-Apple Bloom?"

"Uh... Hiya big sis."

Scare Tactics

       "What did you do?" Applejack asked, scaring her little sister with her threatening tone and booming voice. The other two crusaders backed away from Apple Bloom; both ready to run while the apple farmer was preoccupied with the red maned filly. They backed away until they were blocked by one of Cheerilee's forehooves.

"It was an accident!? Right Scootaloo and Sweetie Be-" Apple Bloom realized her so called friends had planned to leave her. They waved to Apple Bloom, but they were soon pushed next to her by Cheerilee.

"Right behind ya," they said in shame.

"I'll leave them in your care." Cheerilee stated before turning away from the diminutive crusaders. The three fillies smiled uncomfortably at Applejack. Applejack didn't know what to do with the fillies; maybe Rarity had some ideas. The earth pony did think that they were adorable; in a sort of helpless hoofsized kind of way.

"So my little-er ponies, how did you do this?" Applejack asked, earning a collective groan from the three fillies. They all knew it was the first of many short jokes.

"Let's just say alchemy is best left to the professionals."

"And where did you practice potion making?"

"Twilight's library," they answered. Applejack knew that they had probably destroyed whatever was left of the Books and Branches library. The apple farmer lifted the three in front of her eyes; their stature reminding her of the toy soldiers in Rarity's boutique. Applejack felt she had the obligation to at least show them to Rarity.

"Get in," she ordered, removing the hat from her head and placed it in front of the fillies. They hopped in the gigantic Stetson hat. Their world was flipped over and thrust into darkness as they plummeted into Applejack's blonde mane. All they were able to see was whatever was directly in front of them and there was an odd scent of apples in the air. "Rarity's gonna get a kick out of this." Sweetie Belle's heart sank at the thought of her older sister seeing her like this. Sweetie Belle stood up in the shaking darkness, and the white unicorn began to speak,

"Of all things this is the-"

"Best! Possible! Thing!" Rarity squealed, nuzzling her little sister against her cheek. Sweetie Belle struggledagainst the older unicorn's magic. Sweetie was smothered against her face; she screamed for help whenever she had the chance. Rarity loved the idea of her now smaller sister, and her earlier deal with Sweetie that involved a certain filly doing whatever she said without question.

"Rarity! Stop!" Sweetie begged, getting a strong sense of motion sickness. The younger unicorn had expected this kind of treatment, but not to this extreme. She had guessed that Rarity was going to coddle her and make embarrassing statements. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo laughed at the expense of Sweetie Belle's feelings.

"This is just perfect! With you like this it'll be so much easier to foalsit."

"But we don't need a foalsitter!" Sweetie argued.

"As far as I'm concerned, you do. No offense, but you three can't take care of yourselves." Rarity reminded, causing the smaller unicorn to huff in dissatisfaction. "But if you think you could handle yourselves in the big, scary world, I have no right to keep you from it." Rarity used her magic to lift up the three fillies that shrieked I surprise.

"Rarity, what are you doing?" Applejack asked, wondering what Rarity's intentions were. Rarity cautiously winked towards her friend, but kept it out of sight from the children.

The white unicorn placed the Curie Mark Crusaders on the floor where they got a view of Rarity and Applejack's full stature. Rarity kept a certain expressionless look on her face, scaring the fillies.

"Just follow my lead." Rarity whispered, earning a nod from Applejack. "Since you don't need your caring sisters, I trust that you'll take care from now on."

"You can't do this! I live here!" Sweetie Belle argued, but her efforts were ignored as they were ushered out the door. Scootaloo looked back at Sweetie Belle with an intention to hit somepony.

"You just had to open your mouth!" Scootaloo accused. "We were perfectly fine, until you had to talk back to your sister." Scootaloo kicked at the ground in frustration.

"We'll be fine." Apple Bloom assured, leading the way across the hallway.

Inside of Rarity's workstation, Applejack was beginning to give Rarity a harsh expression.

"Why would you do that?" Applejack asked, feeling a bit like Rarity's dramatic moments. "They'll get hurt out there!" Rarity smirked at Applejack's reaction.

"Just trust me AJ. They'll come crawling back to us with what I have planned."

"Ah don't think this is a good idea." Applejack commented.

"Oh, Opalescence." Rarity called in a sing song tone. A white furred cat peaked out from under the covers of Rarity's bed. The cat purred and jumped onto Rarity's awaiting hooves. "Momma needs your help. Yes she does."

"You're scaring me Rair'."

***

"How long have we been walking?" Sweetie Belle complained, staring at the floor as she walked. Scootaloo growled in annoyance, feeling she was the only one who thought logically.

"Two minutes and twelve seconds." Scootaloo reminded, "this is the fith time you asked." They had just managed to have rounded a corner that was close by.

Light sounds of steps resonated through the hall, and the noise immediately captured the attention of the diminutive fillies. They looked around the area but found nothing. The Crusaders continued their march through the halls, starting a casual conversation about various topics ranging from possible cutie marks, to potential Crusaders. Their chat was cut short by the same stepping sounds. Only this time it was much closer.

"Shh! What was that!?" Sweetie Belle asked, looking around the area. The sound of footsteps echoed through the halls as any noise was magnified to their size.

"Ah don't like the sound of that." Apple Bloom commented; the earth filly's voice cracked in nervousness. Apple Bloom turned her head and scanned the area for the umpteenth time, but she found nothing. This continued several times with each filly turning back one at a time. And as expected, it was false alarms. The Cutie Mark Crusaders eventually became used to the task; finally, Scootaloo turned around and noticed a stalking Opalescence that quietly followed them.

"Heh, good kitty?" The pegasus of the group nudged the others to turn around. Scootaloo instructed her friends not to panic. The two shifted their bodies slowly, keeping their eyes away from Opal's. The snowy cat had a devilish grin and crouched to an optimal pouncing position. Sweetie Belle looked up to her predatory pet and backed away.

"Say something Sweetie. It's your cat." Apple Bloom ordered, shaking in fear while she spoke.

"Opal it's me. You know Sweetie Belle?." Opalescence's face kept its creepy grin, clearly stating that she did not care. "Uh... I feed you, with food!" Opal's grin widened with interest.

"Phrasing!" Scootaloo screamed, "Sweetie! Don't remind her of food, or you'll literally be feeding her." Sweetie gulped in surprise as she just realized her mistake. The unicorn began to rack up more things to tell her cat.

"I'm the one that bathes and keeps you clean." Sweetie mentioned, sparking an angry look in the Persian cat. Opal growled and brought her nose in close to the already frightened filly. Sweetie Belle somehow manage to keep her cool, staring back into the eyes of Opal.

Opal's mouth opened wide, showcasing a straight display of sharp, meticulously brushed teeth. Sweetie remembered the times where Rarity had Opal in a headlock with her magic, brushing the cat's teeth while she struggled for freedom. Of course her memory was cut sort by the looming threat that was about to eat with said pearly whites. The intoxicating smell of catnip wafted through Sweetie's nostrils. The unicorn was paralyzed in fear, staring into the abyss that was the maw of Opalescence. Opal leaned forward, and Sweetie's head was already inside of the mouth.

"Bad Kitty!" Rarity's voice boomed. Her voice as over dramatic as it usually was for scripted situations. Rarity telekinetically lifted Sweetie Belle away from Opal's mouth just before the cat closed it. Applejack followed behind and knelt down to lift the filly, grabbing the scruff of Apple Bloom's neck carefully. The red maned filly was whisked into the air reminding Apple Bloom of when she did the same.

"You should be ashamed, Opal! How could you eat my dear, cherished, adorable little sister!?" Rarity stretched out the details in as a belief that she was selling her performance. Sweetie Belle immediately felt safe in Rarity's grasp, and she believed Rarity's scare tactic.

"Don't worry, Apple Bloom. Your big sister's here." Applejack consoled, holding the terrified filly close to her. Applejack and Rarity cooed words of comfort to their scared siblings, leaving the orange pegasus on the floor.

"Aw come on! Don't leave me!" Scootaloo begged, chasing after them. But with their unfair size advantage, Rarity and Applejack left Scootaloo behind, completely forgetting about her. Scootaloo's pace eventually faded and she stopped to catch her breath. She kicked at the floor and muttered a few profanities directed towards the Apple family, Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and her rotten luck. Her curses were almost immediately interrupted by a low pitched snarling.

"Good kitty?"

The Big Sisters

"Opal! My favorite kitty. My, your... Fur is looking really clean today." Scootaloo sucked up, slowly backing away. Scootaloo stepped backwards and tried her best to peacefully avoid the worst situation. Unfortunately for her, Opal wouldn't listen to Scootaloo's weak pleas for mercy. Opal stepped closer and showed off her devilish grin again. Scootaloo whimpered inaudibly, and she smiled back in intimidation.

"Okay, nice chat we're having. Glad to see your doing well. Bye." Scootaloo turned away and tried to leave, but Opal decided against it and pinned the orange filly to the ground. "Hey! What are you doing!" Scootaloo felt a tight grip on her tail and left hind hoof. Opal swung the fighting filly playfully and showed Scootaloo another unsettling sight of her teeth. Scootaloo chuckled nervously and lost her fake smile immediately.

Scootaloo had to think fast, and land on her feet; just like a cat-- just like the exact cat that threatened to eat her. A huge, thick wad of spit was all she could think of. Luckily her frequent spilling contests with the other school ponies paid off as Opal dropped her and tended to her eye. But her lucky streak ended there as she hit the floor wrong, and all of her air rushed out of her lungs. Scootaloo gasped for air and desperately scratched for decent ground to start running.

The moment she did stand, she took off towards any place to hide. Sprinting in any direction that would get her away from Opal, Scootaloo noticed a small crevice that could serve as an escape route. The orange filly kept on running without turning back. And if Scootaloo did look back, she would have noticed an angry Opalescence chasing after her. Opal approached Scootaloo faster than the tiny pony could run. Opal caught up and loomed over Scootaloo threateningly with her body in a pouncing position.

Scootaloo just stood there and had no idea why she chose to stay, but she did anyway. Opal kept her menacing glance and pinned Scootaloo on the hard floor. Gasping for air, Scootaloo racked her brain for another escape plan but came up with nothing that could aid her. The shrunken pegasus closed her eyes, fearing for her life. Scootaloo felt the rough tongue of Opal slide across her face, and at one point, Opal stopped licking and made a gagging sound. When she opened her eyes to see what happened, she almost laughed in triumph and disbelief at her sudden luck.

Opalescence had completely hated Scootaloo's taste.

The giant Persian cat released Scootaloo from her oppressive paw, and Scootaloo took it as a signal to leave. Scootaloo was equally surprised to see Opal turn away and leave her alone. Scootaloo chucked again before saying aloud,

"I'm glad I didn't take a bath this morning."

***

"It's okay, Sweetie. I'm pretty sure Opal would never do that again." Rarity comforted. Her voice was lowered enough to be soft and alluring to her little sister. She had to keep the excitable fillies in line, or else they'll end up hurting themselves. And with their new size, hurting themselves wasn't necessarily hard to do. Rarity wasn't proud of her manipulation tactics, but it was the easiest thing to come to mind.

"You're okay as long as ya have your big sister here." Applejack said to her own sister. Applejack rehashed the same words of assurance and got the same sort of thanks.

"Wait a minute. What happened to Scootaloo?" Apple Bloom asked. The tiny earth pony jumped to her hooves and snapped out of her state of shock. Rarity looked to Applejack with a look of concern.

"We forgot about Scootaloo!" Rarity gasped.

As if on cue, Opalescence burst into the room, growling and shaking her fore legs as if she was imitating a bucking horse. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle shouted out their friend's name in glee, and Rarity and Applejack breathed deep sighs of relief. Opal shook and turned in every direction, flailing around awkwardly. A little orange form managed to appear Out of Opal's designer collar. Rarity immediately grasped her pet in the light blue aura and lifted the Persian cat right next to her.

"Scootaloo, are you okay?" Rarity asked, removing the pegasus filly from the white fur of the cat.

"I... Hate you guys." Scootaloo said bitterly, looking up at the other ponies with a look of anger.

"Don't say that, Scootaloo." Rarity tried to console the orange filly.

"Seriously, both you two have somepony top save you from danger, but I have nopony." Scootaloo huffed. Rarity felt guilty again by Scootaloo's point, knowing that Scootaloo was right.

"How about I call Rainbow Dash? Maybe she could make you feel better." Rarity offered, hoping to cheer Scootaloo up with her idol. Scootaloo only gasped and tried to convince Rarity with begging and pleading that made her feel like Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. Applejack chuckled loudly and gave an understanding smile.

"Ah get it. You don't want your idol looking down on you... Literally." Applejack said, earning a thankful nod from the shrunken pegasus. Rarity chuckled quietly at Applejack's pun, and had to fight a habit on bringing Rainbow Dash over.

"Now do you three see what I meant about the world being a dangerous place?" Rarity asked, holding Opalescence up as an example. Opal swiped at the fillies with another roar of anger, and they jumped back in fear. Rarity quickly shooed the hissing cat and shut the door to keep Opal outside.

"Yes, Rarity," the three fillies called out in unison. Their voices seeming monotonous and rehearsed, clearly showing that they were used to agreeing like that. Rarity smiled and turned to pony-quin to continue her work. The girls groaned, each of them knowing that it would result in a few hours of just waiting around. Rarity worked slowly, purposefully making sure every detail was meticulously put in the right place. Every stitch, every jewel, and every change of fabric in a single dress.

While the minutes passed, Applejack would leave and come back, running errands and checking in on the fillies from time to time. And each time Applejack would come back to check in on the girls, she would find them bored out of their minds. Applejack scolded Rarity for not finding something to entertain them with, and each time, Rarity would always say she'll find something.

"Rarity! I'm bored!" Sweetie Belle whined loudly. The tiny unicorn's face scrunched in anger as Rarity mad absolutely no attempt in listening to her little sister. Sweetie Belle's complaints being droned out by a quiet hum that would only be heard by Rarity if they were normal size only added to Sweetie's rage. "Rarity!" No response. "Rarity!" This time, Rarity heard Sweetie's call. She looked around and turned her attention back to her work.

"Rarity!" Sweetie called out a final time, finally catching Rarity's full attention.

"What!?" Rarity yelled, her amplified voice nearly shattering the ear drums of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. The air leaving Rarity's mouth had caused a massive hurricane for the fillies, and they clawed for any grip to stay on the work desk. Watching her little sister and her friends caused Rarity to stop her unnecessary yelling.

"Not so loud, Rarity!" The three Crusaders demanded together. Rarity sqeaked out a quiet (but fairly audible to the CMC) squeak that served as an embarrassed apology. The three fillies whose plan just backfired that same morning rubbed their ears in discomfort. Rarity kept her annoyed look and intimidated the children effortlessly with her icy stare.

"Just wait. I'm almost done." Rarity said in between stitches. Of course time went on differently for Rarity, and the Crusaders waited idly, complaining every once and a while. Rarity once again hummed tunes while she worked, but this time she included the three girls in her work. The fashionista would lift one of them high into the air, fit them in a small square of cloth, and manufacture a scale size dress as a template for the full size design.

Rarity lifted Apple Bloom with her light blue magic and levitated the filly in front of her massive face.

"Forgive me for this one, but I think it goes well with you." Rarity reasoned, lifting a design and showing it to the youngest Apple family member in Ponyville. The sight of the design was enough to make the yellow earth pony to disagree entirely.

"But it's all girly and frilly!" Apple Bloom protested. The earth pony began to fight against Rarity's magic but wound up tiring herself out.

"But it matches your coat, now suck it up." Rarity quipped sternly. Rarity practically forced the filly to stay put while she finished the final details of it. Apple Bloom made sure to let out an audible groan, but her attempts at voicing her opinions only caused Rarity to giggle. "At least you're not just standing around."

When Rarity finished, the unicorn held up a tiny mirror to give Apple Bloom a view of her self.

"Ah look like one of them girls from Manehattan." Apple Bloom said solemnly, finding no joy in the outfit. Scootaloo and Sweetie laughed at their friend's plight, while Apple Bloom gave them an angry glare. "And my so-called 'friends' are laughing at me."

"Oh come on, you look pretty in that dress." Applejack said from a distance, only furthering Apple Bloom's humiliation. "Like a princess." Apple Bloom groaned again by the comment.

"Of course my sister walks in." Apple Bloom muttered to herself, cursing whatever force that put her in this situation.

"Well, they're not sitting around anymore. There's that." Applejack joked.

"But where still bored!" Scootaloo shouted, fighting against her own frilly dress. The dress would cause her to trip over her legs and feel ridiculous in her dress.

"We need to do something about this." Rarity finally admitted, annoyed by the constant complaints of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Rarity looked at the little ponies that stood there with nothing to do. Rarity looked around for something to keep them entertained, and more importantly, out of her way. But the only things in the room that even raised her attention were several squares of fabric, a sewing machine, and a large dollhouse that sat in a corner of the room and collected dust.

Rarity remembered the dollhouse that was once hers and smiled with the wave of nostalgia. She had forgotten innocently playing with the dolls as a filly and fabricating stories of romance, drama, and mystery. The white unicorn had almost always created romantic stories, as they were the most enjoyable to act out. And then her mind immediately went to her favorite love story that she had read as a lovesick teenager. Rarity's grin grew wider as the word "idea" rang through her head.

Seconds later, Rarity began to create little costumes for each of the Crusaders. Sweetie, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo would trot up to the working unicorn, but they were always moved back by Rarity's magic. At one point, Rarity grew sick of the constant barrage of the crusaders and she finally pinned them down with thread, wrapping them up until they couldn't move.

***

"No! I'm not doing it!" Sweetie declined, puffing her cheeks out in anger. Sweetie Belle felt ridiculous in her costume and tried her best to remove her dress. Sweetie's mane was adorned in a small cloth that was formed into a fake flower crown.

"Please?" Rarity pleaded, putting face that had her lip quiver and her eyes sparkle. "You owe me anyway." Sweetie Belle groaned at the memory of her selling her soul.

"Fine..." Sweetie agreed, making Rarity squeal with glee. Rarity levitated her shrunken sister and placed her on the balcony of the plastic home. Sweetie straightened out the ruffles in her bright pink dress and recited,

"O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and-- line!" Rarity immediately groaned in agony. It took every ounce of self restraint to avoid yelling the lines towards Sweetie Belle.

"Refuse thy name!" Scootaloo finished, blurting the lines from below the plastic balcony.

"Finally somepony who's making sense." Rarity declared, "Have you read this before."

"My mom loves Shakespeare, and I'm almost as crazy about it."

"I didn't picture you as quite the thespian." Rarity mused, surprised that a tomboyish pony like Scootaloo would be interested in the writings of a renowned playwright. Sweetie Belle only scoffed at the connection forming between her friend and her older sister.

" 'I didn't picture you as quite the thespian.' " Sweetie mimicked to her friend Apple Bloom, raising her pitch an octave and causing her friend who waited inside of the dollhouse to laugh.

"Okay girls from the top." Rarity instructed, placing the girls in position.

The dollhouse was perched on a counter across from Rarity's bed. The white coated unicorn laid on the bed with a book containing the transcript of the play. Applejack sat next Rarity and situated herself with various snacks. The Crusaders had now invested so much time with their forced rehearsals, that they were now convinced on giving a somewhat decent show.

The Crusaders put on a makeshift production of Romeo and Juliet with Sweetie Belle overacting, Apple Bloom fumbling lines, and surprisingly, Scootaloo reciting some monologues expertly. After some clear screw-ups, Rarity would give her own narration to help the troubled fillies remember the lines and specific scenes they were in.

"The orchard was dimly lit, as the rest of Lord Capulet's guests left his marvelous feast. Save for one colt, enamored by Capulet's beautiful daughter, so he strayed behind. Romeo avoided the likes of his friends and walked the routes of the villa's wall. It was like that until he came upon a certain familiar voice..."

***

"Well that was interesting..." Applejack commented, referring to a specific scene.

"I honestly didn't expect them to..." Rarity explained, feeling slightly ashamed.

"Gah! I need-- more-- mouthwash!" Scootaloo gasped, dumping her head in a bottle of non-alcoholic mouthwash. Rarity felt bad for the two, but she couldn't help but giggle at the adorable reactions of the two.

"It tastes like a garbage dump!" Sweetie Belle whined, dumping her head in the same drink. Apple Bloom now had a definite piece of blackmail if either of them decided to bring up the frilly dress from earlier the same day.

"Wow it's late!" Rarity quickly changed the subject, feeling the awkwardness of the situation set in.

"Yeah, me an' Apple Bloom should head on home." Applejack agreed, getting up from the bed.

"Nonsense! You two could stay here. I don't want you losing your sister out in the dark." Rarity suggested worriedly, causing the girls to feel humbled again by their own size.

"Thanks for the offer Rair'." Applejack said, lifting her little sister and placing her on her hat. Applejack nodded curtly and respectfully, almost knocking off Apple Bloom in the process. Applejack caught her sister an lifted her back into place. Rarity led her friend towards a guest room and wished the two a good night. After she dealt with the Apple family members, Rarity looked towards Scootaloo.

"Do you think your parents, will mind if you stay the night?" Rarity asked, concerned for the safety of the pegasus. Scootaloo shook her head and made herself comfortable.

"Probably a lot less than me being the size of an appetizer." Scootaloo replied slyly.

"Do you girls mind if you share a bed?" Rarity inquired, making the girls scream "no!" in unison. "Okay." Rarity lifted the two carefully with her magic. She prepared two separate beds made from the small, plush pillows from her fainting couch. Rarity set the two shrunken children on separate bed-side tables.

"Good night girls." Rarity said cheerfully. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle repeated Rarity's words and began to let themselves fall asleep in the warmth of a blanket that was hundreds of times their sizes.

Later that night, the Cutie Mark Crusaders each had a nightmare...

Nightmares

A/N: This chapter may or may not be a little disturbing. So if you don't like innocent ponies uhh... sleeping? yeah, they're just sleeping-- that's right, skip to the next appropriately named chapter.

Scootaloo walked cautiously around the corridor. She didn't know exactly why she trotted quietly, and her heart nearly stopped whenever her hoof steps made an audible sound. Scootaloo's silence gave her more of a chance on listening for any foreign noises, but all she was able to hear were random tapping sounds.

"Hello? Is anypony there?" Scootaloo called out, knowing that asking whatever was out there was a mistake. The floorboards groaned and hissed loudly. Scootaloo stood still again, turning her head and scanning the room for anything. The hall began to expand, and the length of the room got bigger by the second. Scootaloo sprinted as much as she could to catch up to the door at the end, but each step she took did not make any progress on getting closer. It took Scootaloo a good three seconds befor she figured out what was happening.

She was shrinking.

Scootaloo looked up into the air and watched the ceiling disappear from her sight. Random tables grew larger, hiding the shrinking filly in the expanding shadow. The Gigantic door on the other side now seemed like an eternity away. There was an odd chill that was sent through her spine, accompanied with the feeling that something was watching her.

Behind her was a low, menacing laugh that seemed to be following her. The mocking noise echoed loudly with its volume growing steadily. "Found you." The voice was harsh, cold, and slightly annoyed. The voice's low tone was muffled and was unable to register itself in her mind. "Quite the stunt you pulled there. I almost lost you for a second." Paralyzed, Scootaloo couldn't run or face the voice.

Hoofsteps clicked slowly, taunting the shrunken filly with the amount of silence between each step. A giant shadow slowly crept up along and engulfed her. "It could've been over quickly, but..." The voice was closer and finally became clear. Scootaloo's throat tightened and kept her from letting out a desperate cry for help.

Memories flashed through her mind, but she hasn't lived any of them. Each thought felt fabricated and made up, conjured by her mind alone, but she was still terrified. Scootaloo was unable to tell if she was awake, because everything seemed vivid. Shivers were sent through her body, and it served as another piece of evidence for Scootaloo believing the reality of the dream. Putting the pieces together, Scootaloo finally narrowed down the pony that had her trapped.

Her captor was none other than Rainbow Dash.

***

"Do ah have to help?" Apple Bloom asked, her voice rising to emphasize her discontent. Applejack only deepened her frown and made a small, but still scolding comment about Apple Bloom's newfound laziness. Apple Bloom rolled her eyes and let herself be hoisted into the air. The swift rush of the air no longer disoriented the tiny filly, and Applejack began to feel comfortable with lifting her sister quickly and recklessly.

Applejack huffed quietly before looking to her sister, "ya can start off by mopping the kitchen floors." Applejack instructed informatively, placing a wet rag on one of the farmhouse's counter tops. The dirty rag landed with a soft squelch, and Apple Bloom plopped right above it. Applejack chuckled as Apple Bloom tried to untangle herself from the sloshing mess of fabric. After Apple Bloom freed herself, she dragged the cloth and was hit by the taste of soap. She gagged for a quick second before getting over the taste and moving on.

Apple Bloom slowly dragged the rag around while Applejack worked on cleaning the kitchen. Apple Bloom would frantically dodge her older sister's incoming hoof-falls. The tiny filly would use her size to get in between the small crevices of the cooking areas. Applejack would sometimes loom above her sister and watch the filly struggle at pulling the worn out fabric. At times, Applejack's blonde tail would carelessly swing around, accidentally knocking around Apple Bloom. This continued for about half an hour before Apple Bloom finally grew frustrated with Applejack's antics.

"AJ, Stop!" Apple Bloom nearly begged, using her rag as a sort of shield.

"Hmm?" Applejack woke up from her trance and pointed her head down, noticing Apple Bloom struggle to get back up. The bigger of the two smiled sheepishly, extending an orange hoof behind her head. "Sorry." Apple Bloom rolled her eyes, begining to believe that her sister's actions were intentional.

"Can I stop?" Apple Bloom asked. Apple Bloom wiped her hooves across their tongue as an attempt at wiping away the taste of the accumulated dirt and left over soap mixed into a strange flavor.

"We still have a lot of work to do." Applejack said, looking down at her tiny sibling. Whatever compromising smile Applejack had, disappeared quickly as Apple Bloom whined loudly.

"Quit your whining. We'll get it over with." Applejack demanded, stomping her hoof to emphasize her point. The larger pony's disapproving step sent a shockwave; it's force strong enough to knock Apple Bloom off of her hooves. One simple gesture was enough to humble the filly. With fear being an excellent motivator to the shrunken filly, Apple Bloom only nodded and jumped on her sister's extended hoof without hesitation. The corner's of Applejack's lips lifted in content, and she turned toward style exit of her home.

The tiny filly laid down and gripped the roots of Applejack's bright, blonde mane. The rumblings of Applejack's light canter had left Apple Bloom shaking around the inside of her sister's hat. Once again, the scent of apples wafted through the air, and Apple Bloom found it slightly funny that her sister had apple-scented mane products.

***

Sweetie Belle felt an undying sense of dread. Giant light blue eyes stared at Sweetie Belle. Details of Rarity's eye were magnified by Sweetie's size. "Sweetie, are you okay!" Shockwaves so large that they were visible to Sweetie Belle, knocking over the frightened filly when they reached her. The tiny pony fought for breath as the wind in her lungs was forced out within seconds. Rarity's expression had a worried feel, and a loud gasp escpaped from Rarity's lips.

"It seems that your sister's magic reserves have caused her to shrink even more than the other girls." The cold, professional voice sent an imaginary pin through Sweetie's heart. For some reason, fate has decided to look down upon her and force the filly into an even tougher predicament.

"Lucky me..." Sweetie whispered sarcastically. The tiny unicorn glanced in the direction where her fellow Crusaders were sitting. Both had a guilty look but had no reason to feel like it was their fault.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo carefully approached their shorter friend, keeping a straight face for the sake of Sweetie's feelings. Sweetie's head barely reached up to the joints of her friends' legs. Whatever embarrassment she faced while looking up at her sister increased from her new size that was even smaller from her previous minuscule stature.

"Don't worry, Sweetie. I'm pretty sure we could find something to change you back." Scootaloo reassured awkwardly, crouching down to Sweetie Belle's eye-level. Apple Bloom out a forced yet comforting smile, hoping to lift Sweetie's spirits.

"I'm fine." Sweetie said, feeling resentment to her condition.

"You're not fine." Rarity's voice boomed from above, "You're shrinking away and we can't do anything about that. Rarity's words did nothing to help Sweetie's mood and only made her feelings worse.

"But no mater what, I'll always be here for you."

***

"Wake up!" Rainbow Dash's cruel voice ordered. The giant pony shifted a cyan hoof and rolled Scootaloo on her back. Scootaloo began to stir from her unconscious condition, but had trouble standing up. Why? Scootaloo thought wearily. Scootaloo tried to come up with any reason why Rainbow Dash would do this to her. She tried to stand up again, but another sprain in her spine had caused her to collapse under her weight.

"How many times are you going to try?" Rainbow Dash questioned hauntingly, her voice growing raspier and demented by the word. Try what? Scootaloo almost screamed, rubbing her aching back. "I was generous to let you be normal, even for a short time... maybe too generous. Give 'em an inch, and they'll take a mile. luckily for me, you will never reach the inch." Rainbow Dash uttered a slow, maniacal chuckle, watching Scootaloo struggle in fear.

"Please..." Scootaloo begged quietly, crawling closer to the laughing form.

"What was that?" Rainbow Dash interrogated, placing a hoof next to her ear. She leaned in closer and had a sick smile on her face, finding a sadistic joy in Scootaloo's pleads for mercy. "I'm sorry, but I guess you should have thought about that before you ran." Her voice remained eerily calm, and a certain stillness in the moment added to her increasing terror.

"I guess I won't be as generous next time... if there is one." Scootaloo's heart nearly stooped at Rainbow's comment. "I have every reason just to crush you on the spot!"

"Don't... please." Scootaloo pleaded again. Rainbow Dash slammed a hoof  onto the table; large vibrations spread across the flat surface and hit Scootaloo, reigniting the aches and bruises on her sides.

"Please? Please? You don't get to ask." Rainbow Dash said,dragging her large hoof closer to the filly, emphasizing her power over her. "It's easy. All I have to do, is pull my hooves close together until I hear a 'pop.' " A sick, vivid image flashed through her head, and she tried to let out a cry for help with no results.

Scootaloo watched her idol's hooves come crashing together. She closed her eyes and felt an immense pressure on her back...

***

Apple Bloom let out an entertained giggle, staring down at her working sister. Applejack skillfully worked on the orchard while Apple Bloom sat on a nearby tree branch. Applejack would carefully tap against the bark, turn her back on it, and position herself in a position to kick the tree. Time slowly moved as Apple Bloom observed her sister's finely-tuned muscles kick the tree, falling apples followed Applejack's experienced kick.

Tap, turn, poise, kick. The process repeated itself several times, and with each time, another basket of apples would fill. Applejack moved from tree to tree, working quickly in the orchards. Apple Bloom cheered words of encouragement, while happily observing from a safe distance.

Applejack finished bucking the trees, admiring her work as she gathered the large baskets of apples together. Upon studying her baskets, Applejack noticed a lone tree, filled to capacity with many large, shining apples.

"Ah wonder why I never bothered to harvest that one." Applejack mumbled to herself, like she often did when she was alone. Applejack cantered to the large apple tree that stood centered in a circle of the recently-picked trees.

Applejack sized up the tree while a terrified Apple Bloom watched from above.

"Applejack, don't!" Apple Bloom kept her eyes pointed towards her sister, hoping that she would be spotted. Unfortunately for her, Applejack failed to notice the filly that flailed her hooves wildly for attention.

Apple Bloom screamed out words to grab her sister's concentration, but all her attempts were in vain as Applejack turned her back towards the giant apple tree. "Jus' one more tree, and Ah'm done for today." Applejack rubbed a hoof on the ground, pulling the grass from its roots and creating a decent amount of traction. Applejack looked back up to the tree and eyed the luscious apples that was on the urge of falling.

Applejack put all of her weight on her forehooves, lifting her hind legs and sending them straight towards the tree. The impact had caused dangerous amounts of vibrations to be sent up the tree quickly. The tiny filly struggled to stay on her hooves with the tree branch bobbing up and down. The apples would fall down slowly. One by one, each apple would fall by the force of her kick.

The pace that the apples fell was to slow for Applejack's liking. Feeling the need to buck the tree again, Applejack lifted her hind legs again. The stocky earth pony put even more force into the second kick. The fact that it took another mighty kick just to dislodge more apples were enought for Apple jack to say, "stubborn apples."

Apple Bloom was knocked off of her hooves the second tìme around, gripping the branch for dear life. She painstakingly endured the onslaught that was just another one of her sister's harvesting techniques. Even after Applejack's strong kick, only a small amount of crops fell. The farmer sighed, kicking the tree a third time to remove another equally stubborn pair of fruit.

Apple Bloom's grip began to falter, feeling the adrenaline die out and the weight of her body straining her strength. She shrieked in surprise as the branch below her broke. Apple Bloom felt the forces of gravity act upon her, heading straight towards another branch. She landed roughly, finding herself nearly impaled by a loose piece of wood.  Apple Bloom took a deep breath of relief when she had nothing more than a bruise.

But that was the last of her luck as she looked upwards. A giant red apple loomed above her, hanging loosely by its wiggling stem. Another tremor was almost enought to give Apple Bloom a heart attack, but the apple seemed more life-threatening at the moment. The movement stirred the large fruit, nearly succumbing to gravity and ending Apple Bloom's life.

The filly, heart now racing, rolled to her side and landed on a softer branch that was covered in leaves. Apple Bloom sighed in relief as the shaking stopped, leading her on to believe that she was safe.

Below, Applejack wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead, refusing to let the tree's products get away unpicked. "Ah can get them down. It's just a lot harder than ah thought." Applejack once again prepared for another kick. This time, putting all of her energy into the buck. The result was a shattering blow to the tree, hurting Applejack's hooves in return.

Apple Bloom tried her best to protect herself from her sister's earthquake, going deeper into the forest of soft leaves. Apple Bloom heard a sickening snap as she realized the apple that threatened her life earlier was now loose. The apple landed above her and the fortress of leaves Neely crumbled under its weight. Silence, another snap, and the tree broke through the blockade of branches.

The mountainous fruit rested on top of her; the weight not as apparent as the leaves behind her served as a cushion. Seconds later, the shattered branch fell apart due to Applejack's kick and the weight of the fruit. Time slowed down as her mind processed the information quickly, noting every detail, sound, and sight.

Pain. That was the only thing that went through Apple Bloom's mind when she hit the ground. She was surprisingly alive against the odds that weren't in her favor. The tiny filly had her back on the ground, facing upwards and getting a view of her sister that towered over her.

"Applejack!" Apple Bloom cried weakly. Applejack didn't respond, picking up the other fallen apples.

"Shoot, this one's bruised." Applejack cursed casually, forgetting about Apple Bloom.

She doesn't even know. Apple Bloom thought morbidly. She called out her sister's name again, this time slightly louder.

Suddenly, it felt that a great weight was lifted off of Apple Bloom. She watched the giant, monolithic fruit being lifted up without any strain. Apple Bloom let out a relieved and strained smile as she saw the caring face of her worried sister. The older sister lifted a hoof to her mouth, refusing to believe what happened.

"Apple Bloom? Oh, Celestia, please, no!" Applejack begged, looking at the body of her sister.

"Sis," she called out, "it hurts."

"Ah know it does, Sugarcube." Applejack comforted sweetly. "Ah'm sorry."

"It's okay-- you didn't know." Apple Bloom choked.

"No, Ah'm really sorry."

"Ah can't feel my legs!"

"Ah love you." Applejack nearly cried, fighting back the tears that formed in her eyes. "More than you'll ever know." The older sister couldn't bear to see her sister in that much pain. The twisted, mangled legs were the first hint that Apple Bloom might die an excruciatingly slow demise. Only one thought came into mind.

Put her out of her misery. Applejack grimaced, feeling grief at the grim thought that came into her mind. She choked back a cry, staring back down at her sister. Applejack knew her sister was too far gone, but she closed her eyes to avoid the sight.

"AJ? What are you..." Applejack's hoof lifted high into the air. "Please, don't! Ah'm okay! Look, I can walk!" The filly tried hard to lift her legs, feeling that they were unresponsive. She screamed many words of denial, watching her sister's emotional face that was high above.

"Ah love you, Apple Bloom." Applejack said a final time. She brought her hoof down, trying her best to ignore the sickening crunch that followed.

***

The moon managed to rise without either the sisters noticing. So far, Rarity managed to keep her even tinier sister from being killed; Sweetie marked the events of the day as a success. Knowing that she was safe under the watch of her sister was all that the shrunken filly cared about.

Sweetie Belle watched her older sister brush her hair. Each long stroke took seconds and was methodically executed to keep it neat. Rarity hummed softly, sometimes announcing the number stroke she was on, and each time she would announce the number, Sweetie would awake with a start.

"Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred-- one hundred and one..." Rarity went back to humming.

"One seventy-six, one seventy-seven..."

"Five thousand, eight hundred and sixty-four." Sweetie Belle immediately shot up on her sister's callout, believing that she had slept for an hour or two. Rarity smiled warmly at her sister and said, "I'm kidding." Sweetie smiled back and giggled loudly, attempting to convey her feelings to Rarity.

Eventually the dusk faded , and the early glimpse of the moon transformed to a bright light that caught the attention of anypony that was privileged to view it. Rarity stared into herself in the mirror, brushing her teeth with a monolithic toothbrush that dwarfed Sweetie's stature. Again, the fussy unicorn meticulously spread the minty paste in every corner of her mouth. The shrunken filly sat on the edge of the basin, observing massive globes of paste rush down the drain.

Sweetie Belle didn't like it, but she was forced to accompany her giant older sister in one of her nightly bed-time rituals. She had no other option, refusing to even consider joining the toothpaste down the black abyss that was the drain. Sweetie's mind drifted to her younger years, remembering her fear of the bath. She recalled running towards her mother, yelling that she was going to get swallowed by the drain; her mother only chuckled and explained that she was too big to be sucked down.

And now that she was small enough to fit, her fears began to become much more apparent.

Sweetie Belle found herself back on the bedside counter. Slight tremors shook the tiny unicorn as Rarity carefully shimmied into her bed, making sure not to disturb the expertly made bed.  Once Rarity was satisfied with her position on the  bed, she turned and lifted her little sister with her light-blue aura.

"Is everything alright, Sweetie Belle?" Rarity inquired, dropping the filly on her stomach. Rarity chuckled lightly, causing the tiny filly's ground to shake and knock her off of her hooves. Sweetie Belle eventually caught her footing against the shifting floor, letting out a triumphant shout. After her small feat of balance, Sweetie finally put her concentration on answering her sister's question.

"It's kind of boring," she answered quietly, knowing well that she was lying. Feeling as if she wasn't telling the whole truth, Rarity raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Right... Uh, Sweetie, do you mind if you walk around for a bit?" Rarity asked, "it's cute watching you bounce around on my stomach." Sweetie Belle nodded and began to trot around, sometimes jumping on the fleshy parts of her sister's belly.

"Sweetie Belle?" Rarity called out, "what do you really think about being this small?"

"Uh, like I said, boring..." Sweetie answered quickly.

"Sweetie." Rarity said unconvinced. The tiny pony huffed in nervousness, "I know when you're lying."

"No, really, I'm fine-- I actually think this is kind of fun." Sweetie Belle lied again, each fib less convincing than the last. Rarity lost her smile and replaced it with an emotionless look.

"Oh really, you're not scared of being like this?"

"No."

"I don't believe you." Rarity scolded, catching the lie before it was even effective. A large lump formed in Sweetie's throat, finding it hard to  swallow under the accusing gaze of her sister.

"What's there to be scared of?" Sweetie asked, trying to pass off her phony bravado as something genuine.

Rarity stopped speaking and lifted her sister up in the beam. The room grew silent, and the only noise in the room was the sounds of Rarity's magic. "Rarity, what are you doing?" Sweetie chuckled anxiously as her giant older sister grinned enough to show her teeth.

Rarity opened her mouth wide, allowing Sweetie to get an unpleasant view of Rarity's mouth. Sweetie Belle was placed right in front of the monolithic maw. Rarity's ice-cold, minty breath  seemed like a better alternative to Opal's ripe cat breath.

"This isn't funny, Rarity!" Sweetie screamed. She fought against the restraining grip with all of her strength, but it didn't work at all. Rarity kept a low, monotonous hum through the air, chilling the spine of the pony she had in her mercy.

"I know you're lying... I detest liars." Rarity remarked harshly, "and I'll never approve of my own sister being one." Sweetie was whisked closer to the large, fleshy tongue.

"Heh, Rarity? You can stop now. You-you're not getting to m-me." Sweetie's obviously anxious tone made it clear that she was afraid.

"Liars and cheats are nothing but pests, and I think they shall be dealt as accordingly." Rarity said, voicing an opinion that sent chills to Sweetie's spine.

"But I'm not lying!" Sweetie tryed to convince her sister, but it didn't work as her twitching ears and eyes told the truth.

"I'm so sorry, Sweetie..." Rarity stifled a sob, "it has to be done." Sweetie found herself engulfed in the mouth of her older sister. The cold ice replaced by a warm, humid environment.

"Okay! I admit it! I hate being this small! Everything's so, so big-- and-- and scary! I'm scared, Rarity! Please don't eat me!" Sweetie Belle begged, tears streaming down her face. Rarity's mouth closed, and Sweetie Belle was left in a dark void.

"Eat you? Who said anything about eating?" Rarity asked casually, trying hard not to giggle.

"What!? You just put me in your mouth!" Sweetie Belle interrogated indignantly.

"But I never intended on eating you." Rarity retorted, miraculously keeping her straight face.

"But you, you said--"

"By 'it has to be done,' I meant, I needed to teach you a lesson about lying. Did you really think by killing you that it would serve as a sort of good lesson?" Sweetie opened her mouth to respond but had absolutely no words to combat her sister's answer.

"And why would I ever want to eat you? You're my baby sister, and I'll do everything to make sure that you are safe." Rarity comforted, causing her sister to breath a long sigh of relief. "Just trust me when I say that I'll protect you with all my heart."

"Cross your heart?" Sweetie Belle asked, looking up into the caring eyes of her sister.

"And hope to fly." Rarity responded, adding to Pinkie Pie's notorious swear. The unicorn gently levitated the shrunken filly and placed her on the bedside table. Letting out an audible groan in discontent, Sweetie Belle called out to her gigantic guardian, "Rarity, do you mind if I sleep closer to you?" Rarity smiled warmly, nodding her head and bringing the tiny pony closer. Sweetie eventually joined her sister in bed and slept soundly.

Thump! Sweetie Belle woke up with a start, sweating profusely. Her surroundings were hot and dark. Thump! "What was that?" Sweetie looked around but saw nothing, growing more worried by the second. "Oh, Celestia, where am I?" Millions of questions raced through Sweetie Belle's mind, finding it increasingly difficult to figure out the answers. After the initial adrenaline, Sweetie Belle felt an immense pain on her back, each loud, earth-shaking beat hurting her even more.

Thump! "Please make it stop!' Thump!  "Oh, Celestia, it hurts!" Thump!  "It's so dark!" Thump! "Why?"

"Hmm? Oh, no. Sweetie, that shade just isn't your color."

"Rarity! Help!" Sweetie pleaded, hearing the drowsy, muffled voice. There was another loud sound in the area. Sweetie stopped her screaming to listen to the rhythm. The beat seemed slow and stable, a loud bang followed by a quieter one. Sweetie paid close attention to the beats, piecing the familiar noises together. The tiny filly's jaw nearly dropped when she figured out where she was.

She was being crushed under her sister's massive body. And the explosion-like noises were her heartbeats.

Luckily, (or unluckily), Rarity had an extremely plush and soft mattress, saving her life, or completely prolonging her demise with a slow, painful end. Sweetie Belle began to feel that she was breathing the same stale air, the idea dawning on her that she was going to suffocate.

Each thud felt like it was threatening to Sweetie's life, thinking that the next tremor might be her last. Minutes turned to hours as her breaths became more strained, and she felt hope giving up as there was no signs of Rarity waking any time soon. Each minute felt like Rarity's weight was going to crush her completely, and the constant assault of her heartbeats only added to the pain.

Sweetie tried her best to conserve her air as long as she could, but found it harder with each passing sigh. The pain seemed to be unbearable, growing exponentially by the heartbeat. Sweetie Belle eventually gave up and before she lost consciousness, one last thought went through her head.

"I'll protect you with all my heart."

Thump!

Night Mares

Simultaneously, all three Crusaders woke up screaming. Their collective cries managing to wake their respective elders. There was a small click and the light immediately responded by turning on. A quiet shimmering sound echoed as Rarity lifted her silk eye cover telekinetically.

"What's wrong, girls?" Rarity asked, genuinely concerned for the two fillies that had nightmares. Both girls were hesitant to look at Rarity, horror clear in their faces. Scootaloo was the first to act, wiping away the small amount of tears that she formed subconsciously.  

"I- I had a bad dream." Scootaloo spoke up, receiving a look of sympathy from Rarity. The massive mare brought the orange filly on the covers of the bed, making sure Scootaloo did not trip over her steady breathing. The giant unicorn turned her head to face her little sister, asking her if she had the same. Sweetie Belle did nothing to add to the conversation, finding it too difficult to look at her sister, the one who crushed her without any effort. Her mind drifted to the strange vividness of the nightmare, recalling Rarity's words that seemed to haunt her.

"What about you, Sweetie Belle?" Rarity asked softly.  Sweetie Belle stayed silent, keeping he face placed against her makeshift bed. "Sweetie Belle?" Rarity peered to her left, looking at the traumatized unicorn. Sobs quietly came from Sweetie's corner, dying out quickly as she realized how loud she was being. Rarity's heart lurched as she watched the small, curled up form shiver in fear. The terror-struck filly burowed deeper into the covers of her bed, trying harder to be unnoticed.

Warmth enveloped Sweetie Belle as Rarity's magic began to lift her. She let out a loud cry as she was lifted up faster than she would have liked. Rarity's rough, nearly negligent levitation brought back Memories of Sweetie's dream, getting worse when she was lifted to Rarity's gigantic face.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Rarity asked simply, finding it hard to watch her baby sister cry. Sweetie Belle kept her eyes fixated away from her sister. "Sweetie, it's okay." A large hoof placed herself under the tiny filly, catching her from a short drop. All the air dropped from Sweetie's lungs, and Rarity didn't even know how much pain she was unintentionally causing. Nothing bout hoarse, raspy breath came out of her mouth.

"P-please..." Was all that came out of Sweetie Belle's mouth. "Leave me alone." Sweetie's words hit Rarity harder than anything else. Fear adorned the voice, quivering and faltering with each syllable.

"Oh my, Sweetie, I can't imagine what you're going through." Rarity attempted to comfort her sister, but whatever she tried did not work.

Rarity began to bring Sweetie closer to her heart, hoping that the gentle rhythm of her heartbeats and the slow rises and falls of her chest. Instead, the loud, droning tremors only served the opposite. Each thud reminded her of her slow, interminable demise under the weight of her sister.

"I- I'm scared," Sweetie choked, finally voicing her feelings.

"Whatever you're going through-- just remember, I'll protect you with al-"

"No!" Tiny sobs followed Sweetie's exclamation. Another sickening tug to her heartstrings. "Leave me alone-- I'm, I'm just scared..."

"Of what?" the older sister asked, using the softest voice she could.

"You!" Sweetie screamed, forcing her head against the soft fur of her sister.The frightened filly broke whatever eye contact she had with her sister. Rarity opened her mouth to speak but couldn't think of a single word that might comfort the sobbing filly on her chest. It didn't help that she could feel her sister's tears on her coat, further emphasizing Sweetie's situation. Sweetie began to scream muffled words in what she experienced in her lifelike dream.

"Shh, Sweetie, just calm down." Rarity consoled. "Scootaloo and I are here for you. Now, slowly tell me what happened." Rarity kept her voice soft. Sweetie, still riddled with fear, stopped her crying and began to compose her her dream into intelligible words instead of incoherent whining and crying. Sweetie recounted on how she was shrunken even more than she was now, reaching the point where her inch tall friends were titans compared to her. She briefly explained the moments she had with her sister and focused more on her death at the hooves of her caretaker.

Rarity followed the story closely, stroking Sweetie's mane to ease the filly whenever she would tense up. Sweetie would continue her story but would wind up hiccuping and stifling another wail.  "And then, you-- you..." Sweetie couldn't bring herself to finish her story, although the end was obvious to both Rarity and Scootaloo.

Without thinking, Rarity brought her shrunken sibling even closer but later realized her mistake as Sweetie let out another scream. "I'm so sorry, Sweetie Belle. I didn't know how bad it was. But I want you to know that I would never even dream about laying a hoof on you in a malicious way. I love you too much, and I'll just die if I ever hurt you." Rarity smiled warmly and telekinetically lifted her sister's head by her chin, wiping away the tears and looking gently into the puffy, red eyes.

"I love you..." Sweetie Belle whispered into the coat of her caring sister, drying her face against the warm fur that easily absorbed the tears. She kept the same nuzzling motion, eventually lulling her self to a calm rest, still fully aware of her surroundings but much more at ease. Finally allowing the heartbeats that seemed to threaten her life calm her down to a tranquil feeling. Unfortunately, Sweetie's statement of love fell upon deaf ears as Rarity was unable to hear the words. Believing that Sweetie Belle was asleep, Rarity looked towards the other filly whom she shared the room with.

"And you too, Scootaloo." Rarity whispered, capturing the attention of the other tiny pony.

"Huh?" Scootaloo found herself being lifted by Rarity's magic, and she was brought up to the same area where Sweetie rested.

"I mean, I'll never live with myself if I found out I hurt you." Rarity restated.

"Thanks, I guess." Scootaloo said. The filly bit her tongue on how rude she might have sounded, but she didn't know what to feel or what else to say to her best friend's sister.

"I mean it." Rarity reassured gently, making sure not to have any threatening undertones. "Sweetie treats you and Apple Bloom like sisters. And the same goes for me and Applejack. Sure we bicker and fight like you three sometimes, but we always get along afterwards." Scootaloo nodded in understanding, still finding it hard to say something appropriate, but she was finally glad that she had a basic understanding of Rarity's affection.

"Scootaloo, do you want to talk about your nightmare?" Rarity asked, remembering that Sweetie Belle's screams also coincided with Scootaloo's.

"I kind of don't want to talk about it." Scootaloo answered after a moment of silence.

"If you don't mind, was it anything like Sweetie's nightmare?" Scootaloo nodded and refused to say anything else, feeling that she was fine as long as she doesn't see Rainbow Dash. "Okay then. Good night, Scootaloo." Scootaloo yawned in response and laid her head against Rarity's chest.

About fifteen minutes later, the giant unicorn lifted Sweetie and Scootaloo with her magic. She made sure not to wake either while they were held in her aura. She lifted Sweetie to her lips, kissed her softly on the head, and placed her back on the improvised pillow-bed. She did the same with Scootaloo shortly after.

"Good night, girls." Rarity said, closing her eyes and later falling asleep.

~~

"Shh, Ah'm here for ya, Apple Bloom." Applejack quietly consoled. Applejack was sitting up, her head resting on the head of the bed. The tiny filly rested her own head against Applejack's chest for support. Apple Bloom had woken up seconds earlier, screaming and crying about her nightmare. The older sister knew exactly how to handle her sister and waited until the initial fear of the night terror subsided. "Just let it out."

Apple Bloom was much more vocal about her nightmares, explaining what happened in short, slightly ambiguous sentences. She would reach the conclusion of her death by Applejack's hoof, and the giant mare began to do her work on cheering up the shaking Apple Bloom.

"You and I both know that I'll be more cautious than that." Applejack said bluntly, choosing a calm, collected, and straightforward approach to cheering up her sister.

"Except, you..." Apple Bloom mouthed the word "crushed." Applejack nearly doubled over as she got her sister's drift. She placed her hoof gently on Apple Bloom's mane, immediately retracting her motion when she remembered the events of he dream.

Apple Bloom's quiet sobs faded as she began to calm down. Applejack smiled comfortingly when Apple Bloom buried her head deeper into her coat. The sight of the burrowing filly reminded Applejack of her earlier years, letting the wave of nostalgia wash over her. She let out a small but noticeable giggle, letting Apple Bloom raise her head in curiosity.

"What?" Apple Bloom asked while wiping a stray tear from her cheek. Apple Bloom began to get distracted

"Nothin'," she answered, "just something ah remembered." Apple Bloom reiterated the same question, wanting to know what made her older sister laugh.

"What is it?"

"Remember when you an' ah were little?" Applejack reminisced. "And whenever the timberwolves howled, I'd wake up with you in my bed." Apple Bloom smiled and recalled the nights she spent with her older sister.

"Ah remember," answered the little sister. Her frown began to disappear as the memories became more apparent.

"You were scared and lonely." Applejack stated calmly; her chest rising and falling evenly.

"Ah was not. The bed was just stiff an' scratchy." Applejack chuckled at her little sister's excuse.

"Sure it was," teased Applejack, poking her sister with her giant hoof. Apple Bloom toppled over again, but this time, she laughed along with her sibling. "Next thing you're gonna tell me is that your tears was just the rain."

Apple Bloom laughed and nodded playfully, "eeyup!" Beginning to forget her previous nightmare, the younger sister continued to take solace with her sister's kind and distracting words.

"You look every bit as fragile as the day you were born." Applejack referenced; Apple Bloom blushed at her sister's comment, clearly embarrassed by Applejack's statement.

"AJ, stop," requested Apple Bloom, feeling embarrassed by Applejack's words.

"Ah mean it-- so small, tiny, and just plain-"

"Ah get it!" Apple Bloom said, annoyed by her sister's antics.

"Cute," Applejack finished, causing her sister to roar in frustration. Another laugh came from Applejack's mouth. "You look so adorable when you're angry." Apple Bloom huffed indignantly and planted her face on her sister's chest.

Apple Bloom then muttered, "Ah'm not cute." She pouted while speaking, successfully proving the opposite as her brows furrowed in annoyance. Apple Bloom's tone and face managed to make Applejack laugh a bit louder.

"See what happens when you're with your big sis?" Applejack asked, quickly changing the subjects. She reveled internally at the fact she managed to break her previous record of consoling her sister. "Ain't a thing that'll get ya while ah'm with you." Apple Bloom didn't say a word, silently appreciating the moment she shared.

"Thanks, AJ." Apple Bloom yawned after thanking her sister. She rested her head and slowly closed her eyes.

"Good night, Apple Bloom." Applejack said, yawning slightly herself; her words coming out muffled and nearly unintelligible. The younger sister bid her own good night, but it was masked by her sleepy voice and her giant sister's loud breathing

***

"Everything is okay, my children." A regal voice called gently. The fillies didn't recognize the voice at first. Taking a few seconds to piece together the slightly different accent and identify whose voice it was, despite the dead giveaway that there is only one pony that could visit and speak through ponies' dreams, Princess Luna.

"P-Princess Luna?" The three ponies stammered in unison. The stood together, looking up at a dark silhouette that floated above them. The princess of the night gracefully lowered herself down to greet the children. The crusaders bowed instinctively, remembering the courtesy that was practiced to show respect to the princesses of Equestria.

"No need for that, my subjects," she ordered gracefully, raising her hoof as a cue for them to cease their bowing. "You three are the first fillies to agree to my terms and conditions in over a thousand years."

" 'bout that, Princess," the earth filly stated; her southern accent as humble as can possibly attempt, "we kind of didn't pay attention to that." The other two crusaders nodded, adding in pointless but confirming commentary.

"How does one just skip over something as serious as this?" Luna asked, genuinely confused by the lack of investment in the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "Had this been a thousand years before, you three could have faced death sentences."

"We kind of died earlier..." Scootaloo remarked smartly, receiving a slight, yet painful kick from Apple Bloom. Luna nodded understandingly, acknowledging the trials that the three went through.

"Yes, dear Scootaloo, but it was simply a test to collect the most strong-willed and emotionally stable ponies available." Luna answered, remembering past tests of other ponies that attempted to join her legion. Some passed and became powerful warriors, and others lost their sanity in minutes. "Sometimes, being thorough can lead to an unfortunate title placed upon you."

"But why a shrinking potion? Why is it linked to you? if you don't mind me asking." Sweetie Belle asked, waiting for Luna's short and educated reply.

"Experimental magic and potions can be used maliciously. So as a safeguard, my sister locked it and many other magic of destruction to the Lunar Republic long after I was gone, where the bravest of ponies would fear to attempt the spells.

"I once locked certain spells to my group before I was sent away, so that ponies found using it had the choice to betray Celestia or perish with loyalty to the crown. Seeing that a spell like this could be used for mischief and hostage tactics, leads one pony to keep it out of the hooves of the prank-pulling fillies." Luna glanced over to the three somewhat shamed fillies sternly. Her face had a clear expression that she wasn't taking any excuses. The crusaders stared at their hooves as they waited for somepony to explain their reason why they did what they did.

"We meant for nopony to get hurt," Sweetie stated first.

"It was all in good fun," added Scootaloo.

"Yeah, we were supposed to have the cure ready an' everything before we actually did something." Apple Bloom added, hoping that her recently cooked up excuse would work and prove that they at least thought ahead.

"If you really thought ahead, you would have created the antidote first." Luna retorted, seeing through Apple Bloom's reasoning. The crusaders kept their faces down in intimidation, refusing to look at what might have been the disappointed face of the lunar princess. Luna only kept a small smirk as she eyed the fillies with memories coming back to her mind.

"Yes, Princess Luna," the three recited at the same time.

"Maybe I should tell you three why Celestia hated the potion in the first place." Luna said aloud, warming up to the charm of the fillies. The three girls nodded and took up on Luna's offer.

"It was a long time ago, and 'Tia and I were teenagers by our standards." Luna started, recounting the origin of the potion. "Although we were millenia old, we still had mind of children as the heavy burden of governing an entire nation became apparent. We had the same mindset as any other filly. Like common ponies, we shared the same energy, arrogance, and irresponsibility.

"Celestia, being the eldest and the next in line, chose to take on the task earlier than I had hoped. She nearly buried herself in the politics, flocking to our mother and father whenever they delegated to the neighboring nation. She grew more and more serious, claiming my attempts at connecting with her 'foalish,' and that I was nothing more than an 'incompetent child.'

"I was angry to be honest, but my sister would hear none of it. 'Tia was only a few years older than me, yet she carried herself as an adult whenever she was with me. I was often alone in my room, reading books or staring at the night sky. I thought of my sister every time she left, and I thought of the times where we played as fillies."

"So you turned you and Celestia into foals?" Sweetie Belle guessed.

"No, I needed something more than just regressing me and my sister. If I had chosen that, she would have hated me even more. She was never the one for coddling, and I was no where near as powerful enough to conjure the age spell at that time. I looked around for any inspiration and finally stopped when I spotted a recreation of Canterlot Castle for dolls.

"I had decided to create the shrinking potion. I slaved away at the compounds while Celestia padded herself with a thicker exterior, hiding herself from her youth and taking on a maturity younger than anypony expected her to.

"When I had finally committed the deed, she detested me with every fiber of her being. She chose to avoid me, trying several escape attempts. And each time I'd catch her, only to be bombarded with another onslaught of hurtful insults.

"It took days, but I had finally gotten to her. She opened up to me, and I did the same. She told me her fears on running Equestria alone, and I told her about my worries of losing her. We made a pact that we would support each other-- that 'Tia would never rule alone with my support, and she would always be there for me."

The Crusaders sat there, completely captured by Luna's story. Luna created the potion for nearly the exact same reason why they wanted it. The crusaders thought of the potion as a simple spell to have fun with their sisters and effectively curing their boredom.

"None of that really matters now-- what I care about is you three and your sisters." Luna stated, changing subjects quickly. "I watched today's events, and it seems you all secretly enjoy being in your sister's care."

"Well, not exactly," retorted Apple Bloom.

"Yes, you did!" Sweetie accused.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

The two proceeded to name call, sticking out tongues, and just bickering. Scootaloo found a way into the argument, siding with Sweetie Belle and joined in on the name calling. Luna stood on the sidelines, waiting for the initial frustration to fade out and step in when necessary.

"Girls, stop!" Luna screamed, using her Royal Canterlot Voice to stop the fight. The ears in all fillies dropped quickly. Each pony ashamed of their unneeded fight.

"Sorry, Princess Luna," all three crusaders apologized. Luna nodded curtly before getting back into gear.

"And as for your size restoration, I notified Twilight Sparkle about your actions-- and she will be heading back to Ponyville with the antidote recipe as soon as possible." At the mention of the librarian, Apple Bloom Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo collectively groaned. Luna cocked her head in confusion as she caught on to the moan.

"What's wrong?"

"We kind of... trashed the library while making the potion." Apple Bloom answered.

"I don't think Twilight would mind. She is a kind and forgiving mare you know." Luna reassured. The crusaders nodded thankfully, hoping that Luna could find a way to either clean the mess or get Twilight into a good mood.

"Thank you, Luna." The three said together, nodding their heads and bowing. Luna's horn glowed with a sparkling aura and sent a small orb of magic to each filly. On contact, they began to feel drowsy, losing balance and nodding off.

"Goodnight, my little ponies." Luna hummed, disappearing from the fillies' dreams.

It's All Fun and Games

"I still expect you three to be on your best behavior." Rarity spoke up expectantly, cutting off an earlier conversation with Applejack. The  crusaders looked up at the unicorn that had on a stern look; they then gave her an exaggerated, pleading expression. But it was when she uttered the word, "school" where their puppy-faces really picked up.

The mention of the schoolhouse was enough to cause a collective groan of protest. "You still need to go to class, even if you can't lift up a quill." Applejack chuckled softly, imagining all three crusaders attempting to stabilize a quill twice their size.

"But the ponies at school will laugh at us!" Sweetie Belle protested, flashing a persuasive glance.

"Doesn't matter," combated Rarity, "they probably won't even notice you."

"Cheerilee's still mad at us." Scootaloo added, hoping that excuse would get her out of school.

"Cheerilee's a nice pony," the southern mare said, "an' ah'm sure you girls got what you was coming to ya." Applejack playfully tipped Apple Bloom off balance, and the tiny pony wobbled on on her left side. Apple Bloom's fellow crusaders simply laughed as she tried to fight her sister's teasing.

"Nonetheless, we're both busy and can't properly watch you," said Rarity informatively. She lifted her sister and her friends up with her magic; the pleading sounds of discontent mixed with the yelps of surprise that came from the three. They landed on her back with a few complaints on the lack of grace that their placement had.

"So just deal with it like anypony else would." Applejack instructed.

~~

The walk to the school was embarrassing to say the least. Countless eyes of ponies followed them as if they were on display to the entire city. Rarity's back provided little to no cover from the citizens of Ponyville, reluctantly greeting the ponies that were lucky enough to be in hearing distance. Of course, there were some ponies that were much less courteous and simply laughed at the fillies' plight.

Inside the school, things were much worse. Cheerilee kept her cool and attempted to avoid exploiting the shrunken children. The students, on the other hand, kept their eyes transfixed towards the three. Nopony paid any attention to their teacher and instead chose to stare at the three self conscious fillies, much to the school teacher's annoyance.

"Apple Bloom, what was the name of the unicorn princess that helped found Equestria?" Cheerilee asked, nudging the desk that the three crusaders shared. Apple Bloom stalled slightly and racked her brain for the answer but drew a blank. She answered that she didn't know the answer, choosing to ignore the chorus of laughter that taunted her.

"Looks like her brain shrunk even more than she did,"  Diamond Tiara, one of the two fillies that tormented the crusaders, remarked snidely. Her friend and co-bully, Silver Spoon, chuckled haughtily at her friend's simple yet demeaning joke. Cheerilee caught the insults that came from the two and responded by showing an annoyed glance in their direction.

With the two snobbish fillies' quieting down, Cheerilee swiftly transitioned back to her lesson, this time moving the crusaders out of sight and farther away from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

Other than the usual hiccups from the slacker students, The class continued without any more unneeded disruptions. A loud, droning school bell signaled the dismissal of the students; the fillies and colts quickly left the school house without a proper dismissal from Cheerilee. They quickly emptied the room, leaving Cheerilee, the crusaders, and their bullies.

"Where are your sisters?" Cheerilee asked casually, her voice somewhat rushed.

"Probably pickin' apples."

"She doesn't exist."

"Making a dress, I guess."

"Oh, the thing is, I have to go to a conference, and I don't think I can take you girls with me." Cheerilee answered sheepishly, her ears hanging low.

"Well you can jus--"

"No, I'm not just leaving you here," she answered sternly.

It was at this moment when Diamond Tiara nearly smiled mischievously. "Miss Cheerilee, we could take them with us." Cheerilee looked over to the two fillies with an uncomfortable look.

"I don't know, you two both laughed at their expense earlier."

"Aw come on, Miss Cheerilee, we were just teasing," Silver Spoon defended. While Cheerilee was distracted by Silver's statement, Diamond Tiara sent a threatening glare towards the shrunken crusaders. Intimidated, the crusaders decided to cave in to their demands before facing the inevitable wrath of the two, finding it a lot more bearable if they were in a good mood.

"If it's okay with them." Cheerilee agreed bluntly.

"Of course it is. We're friends, right?" Diamond Tiara butted in, looking at the shrunken ponies with a wide, intimidating smile.

"Uh, yeah, we're the bestest of friends!" Scootaloo answered with the same campy smile, hoping that her unrealistic attitude will set off something; however, it didn't work as the statement simply flew over the teacher's head.

"Well, okay then, but just make sure they get to Rarity and Applejack quickly."

Both Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon nodded in agreement, sporting a fake smile to further sell their innocence. Still not convinced, Cheerilee kept a straight face, finding it hard to trust young children with the crusaders. However Cheerilee didn't have the liberty to call someone else or take the crusaders with her. Cheerilee quickly bid the girls farewell and left the room in a sporadic rush.

After Cheerilee left, there was a brief moment of silence before Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon turned and faced the fillies, both changing their innocent smile to a sly, devious grin. Feeling uncomfortable, the tiny crusaders began to back away.

"We're doomed," the three crusaders said together.

Keeping her wide smile, Diamond Tiara approached the desk, "what are you backing up for? I'm not going to hurt you." A low chuckle rumbled in the air, taunting and mocking them effectively.

"We just want to play, just like good friends do." Silver Spoon said, adding a laugh of her own as well.

"We are your friends, right?" Diamond Tiara brought up, staring at the three girls. She stomped her hoof on the ground to explain her point. The pink "I already have a game in mind."

~~

"Are ya sure this is safe?" Apple Bloom asked, looking down at the large gap, completely unaware of what was below. Diamond Tiara only scoffed in response, believing it was a suitable answer.

"Of course it's safe. I would never do anything to harm you." Silver Spoon answered with a false sweetness.

As if she wanted to contradict her previous statement, Diamond Tiara shoved the three fillies down said hole. Their free fall didn't last long, but they still screamed through its entirety, landing, once again, roughly on a hard surface. Struggling to stand, the crusaders began to look at their surroundings.

The area was dark, and none of the crusaders were able to see what was ahead of them. Small dunes of and were scattered  around. What was most unsettling was the fact that there was nothing in the area with them.

"Oh, Sapphire, time to wake up." Silver Spoon's voice was distant and harsh but at the same time, somewhat remorseful. Seconds later the darkness disappeared, and bright light seeped in quickly, blinding the girls temporarily.

"Sapphire?" Scootaloo asked aloud, knowing that somepony was going to ask the question anyway. Apple Bloom simply shrugged without giving a proper answer.

"Maybe it's her pet hamster or something," guessed Sweetie Belle, rubbing her eyes with vigor.

"You wish," Diamond Tiara chimed in, her voice near sadistic. Both Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara brought their faces up to the glass of what the CMC deciphered as a display case, giving off a distorted fish-eye look. As if cued to do so, Silver tapped on the glass, hoping to wake up whatever was the resident of the case. Once the floor began to shake slightly, Silver stopped knocking on the glass.

Apple Bloom quickly ran out of the way, followed by Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. They stuck together and ran as far as they could, eventually bumping into the glass wall on the other side. Not wanting to turn back to whatever was behind them, they all decided to take their chances with climbing the slick glass; however, their attempts to escape were obviously in vain.

Scootaloo, electing herself the bravest and most qualified to handle this situation (seeing how she kept away from Opal for so long) turned towards the monster behind her. Not believing what she was seeing, she rubbed her eyes to get a better look at the beast.

It was taller than the crusaders combined, had fur surrounding its body, multiple eyes, and the most defining feature was its eight legs. It was obvious that it was a spider, but it Scootaloo a few seconds to identify it because of its massive side. Paralyzed in fear, the three crusaders just stood there, watching the giant spider known as "Sapphire" approach them quickly.

Finally, Sapphire was up against the girls. The uncaring eyes of the arachnid stared into their own, leaving them with a strange sense of near hopelessness

~~

Rarity found herself in the midst of inspiration, too enthralled in her work to go pick up her sister and her friends. Anyway, Rarity thought, Applejack will surely pick them up. Unfortunately, Applejack had the same thought in her mind as she was busy bucking apples.

Rarity carefully fabricated the pieces of cloth together, carefully stitching patterns and colors together. It took a few hours, but Rarity was finally satisfied with another article of clothing; however, her small victory to herself was shattered by a loud thud coming from her wall.

Knowing exactly who it was, Rarity simply opened the window with a simple levitation spell. And sure enough, her friend and part time annoyance, Rainbow Dash, flew into the room with neither grace nor theatrics, landing shakily and unsteady.

With her entrance, Rainbow manged to tip over a few items including a box of gems and a fully clothed ponyquin. Rainbow Dash caught her mistake and quickly stood the objects right side up, leaving tattered cloth and spill gems everywhere while sporting a sheepish smile.

"Uh, hey what's up?" Rainbow Dash asked coolly. Rainbow Dash kept her smile, hoping it would at leas dissolve some of Rarity's frustration. "Okay before you get mad, I'll have you know that-"

"Whatever, Ranbow Dash, I need you to do me a favor." Rarity said, somewhat glad to have a familiar face.

"Okay, shoot." Rainbow Dash answered.

"Do you mind if you pick up Sweetie Belle? And her friends, of course." Rarity asked, turning towards her dress.

"Don't you think Sweetie Belle is getting too big to be walked home." Rarity inwardly giggling at Rainbow Dash's words; the irony clearly lost on Rainbow Dash.

"Just be a dear and bring them over." Rarity ordered, this time a bit more serious.

"Fine, I guess." Rainbow Dash agreed half-enthusiastically, finding it a bit insulting to be used as an unpaid babysitter. Rainbow gave a quick salute and flew out the window quickly, with the Ponyville schoolhouse in her mind.

Minutes later, thanks to her high speed flying, Rainbow Dash arrived at the school. She was quickly greeted by some ponies that stayed after school, including the ones still in her fan club. Rainbow walked into the classrooms, only to see a Cheerilee working on a stack of papers.

"Oh, hey, Miss Cheerilee," greeted Rainbow Dash, with a foreign sense of formality.

"Hello, Rainbow Dash. What brings you here?" Cheerilee asked.

"Uhh, I'm looking for Sweetie Belle. Is she here?" Ranbow Dash asked, "Rarity is sort of calling her."

Cheerilee looked up from her stack of papers, "I thought Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon took care of that already." Rainbow Dash cocked her head in near confusion.

"Right... If you don't mind, could you point me out to one of their homes?" Rainbow Dash asked, groaning somewhat and hoping it wasn't going to turn out to be a wild goose chase.

~~

"Cutie Mark Crusaders spider taming!" The three girls shouted in unison, each audibly enjoying what was happening and much to the annoyance of Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara. The three excitable fillies managed to defeat and mount the spider that once threatened their lives, managing to ride it like any cowpony would ride a bull.

"How in the world did they manage to do that!?" Diamond Tiara asked angrily, sporting a large scowl.

"Beats me," replied  Silver Spoon, watching the crusaders ride her pet spider and secretly enjoying the sight; Silver Spoon would often make small talk with the crusaders without Diamond Tiara knowing, and whenever the pink filly was sick, Silver would meet with the crusaders with a mixed reception to her arrival.

Silver Spoon secretly hated abusing the crusaders, but some ponies tend to ignore their morals when they become the lackey of a bully. And now that the tiny ponies were safe from a death caused by her own pet, she felt she could be at ease.

"And what are you smiling about?" Diamond accused harshly, completely unhappy with the small, almost unnoticeable smirk on the silver filly's face.

"Just glad that they're not... dead, ya know?"

"Well of course they are. It only only eats bugs, stupid." Diamond said bitterly, "and do they look small enough to be eaten by a spider?"

"Well, no." Silver Spoon answered, her voice unsure and shaky.

"There you go, now help me come up with something new."

Twenty or so minutes later, Diamond Tiara finally finished her next ploy to play with the crusaders. She stood back, admiring her handiwork with a sly smile on her face. Her next game was simple yet disorienting to say the least. It was simple, but at the same time it would be a daunting obstacle for the crusaders.

"That's it?" Scootaloo asked, surprised by the lack of terms.

"No catch?" Apple Bloom added.

"Nope just get to the end, and that's it." Diamond said innocently, stifling a chuckle. "Although, we could be able to raise up the stakes, if you're interested."

"There it is," complained Sweetie Belle. "All right, Diamond, do your worst."

"Well, how about you girls have five minutes to reach the end."

"If we lose?" Scootaloo asked cynically, almost expecting a flat out loss.

"Public humiliation sounds fitting."

"If we win?" Apple Bloom asked, her tone having the same cynicism as Scootaloo.

"Well if you do, which you won't, I guess I could take you back to your sisters. So, are you gonna play?" She batted an expecting eye and a threatening expression to get the answer she wanted.

"We don't have much of a choice..." Scootaloo answered, looking straight down at the ground.

"That's the spirit," chuckled Diamond Tiara, placing the fillies on the ground. It was the first time the crusaders got a correct perspective on the sheer size and the high stakes of their task.

Their challenge was simply navigate the large book maze presented ahead of them; however, none of the crusaders were able to memorize any piece of the maze, leaving them somewhat clueless. There was a large, seemingly immovable book placed in front of the entrance, blocking them from an early start.

"See this?" Diamond asked, waving around an hourglass. She then reiterated, "five minutes."

"Are you ready?" Silver Spoon asked, looking downwards at the crusaders.

"No." Sweetie Belle answered.

"Oh I'm counting on it." Diamond remarked cockily, "three... two... one!" Diamond quickly lifted the book and flipped the hourglass over to start the timer. The crusaders ran in headfirst and without any sort of plan. Upon the first intersection, Apple Bloom ran one direction, while Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell ran the other way.

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo carefully coordinated their turns, and by coordinating, either Sweetie Belle or Scootaloo shouted a direction and both followed it. Their entire routine lasted less than half of a minute, with them running into many dead ends at almost every turn.

Once Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo neared an intersection that split in two directions, Diamond quickly slammed a book in between the girls, effectively cutting the girls away from each other. Screaming in both surprise and confusion, the two began slamming against the hardcover book.

"Hey, what gives!" Scootaloo yelped in surprise, glaring at the giant filly, who only chuckled in return.

"No fair, you're cheating!" Sweetie accused, running into the wall in hopes it would topple over.

"Who said this was cheating?" Defended Diamond, shifting books around, making the course substantially longer.

Apple Bloom, alone and nearly unnoticed, ran along and avoided being detected by either Diamond Tiara or Silver Spoon. The southern filly ducked under cover, hid behind corners, and eventually found her way to the exit. Diamond caught on, but it was too late as Apple Bloom left the maze and cheered loudly for her size.

"Ah did it!" Apple Bloom announced proudly, "we won, Diamond, now let us go."

"All three of you have to make it to the end," she replied, striking down Apple Bloom's joy with little effort.

"Now you're just making up rules!"

Meanwhile, Silver Spoon, feeling somewhat sympathetic, began opening up some barriers while Diamond Tiara was bickering with Apple Bloom.

"Time," the snobbish filly turned towards Silver, "well?" Silver checked the small hourglass, observing that it reached one minute. In response to that, she quickly shook it enough to add a small amount of time.

"Uhh, two minutes and counting." Silver Spoon answered back, masking her lie well.

Another minute burned off of Silver's mental clock, and Sweetie Belle was the next to reach the end, much to the disdain of Diamond Tiara. It was at this point when the pink filly sighed in frustration and ordered Silver Spoon to count aloud. More seconds passed at an interminable rate, and Scootaloo was nowhere near the exit. It was almost as if somepony didn't want her to reach the end-- well, it was exactly that case since Diamond blocked off all but one path.

"Forty-four, forty-three..."

"Faster!" Diamond ordered, slamming a large hoof next to the remaining crusaders. Silver Spoon reluctantly obliged and counted at a (slightly) faster rate.

Being both the supportive and worried friends of Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle shouted phrases that they hoped would encourage their friend. Silver counted loudly and monotonously, reaching the thirty second mark faster than both she and the crusaders would have liked.

Diamond smiled to herself as she watched the tiny orange pegasus run in the opposite direction. The time reaching a dangerously low amount. Silver's counting began to echo in Scootaloo's head, adding a new layer of fear with each number called. Scootaloo turned right, left and nearly every direction she could until she find.

She came across another dead-end. And with the count being near the end, Scootaloo felt that all hope was lost. Giving up entirely, she sat herself down and stared at the large cover of a Daring Do novel.

Ironically, it was a copy of Daring Do and the Impossible Labyrinth.

"Ten, nine, eigh--" Silver Spoon was immediately cut off by a tomboyish and over-confident voice.

"Hold it!"

Feeling her hopes exponentially rise, Scootaloo looked up and shouted,

"Rainbow Dash!"